Apple to roll out retail-based ‘Joint Venture’ service in coming weeks

By on Feb 22, 2011 at 4:43 PM
Exclusive February 22, 2011

There has been quite a bit of noise recently about a quarterly, morning meeting for Apple retail employees scheduled for this Sunday, February 27th. Apple retail staffers have been asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement — not a standard procedure for such meetings — sparking speculation about Macbook Pro, iPad, and other hardware-related unveilings. BGR has learned that the topic in question is a new, retail-based service being called Joint Venture. First rumored back in March of last year, Joint Venture is an extension of Apple’s current Genius Bar services aimed at small businesses and prosumers. Subscribers of the new service will be able to speak with a store-based Apple technician — lovingly referred to as Geniuses — over the phone for one-on-one consultation and troubleshooting, or they can request an on-site visit. Currently, Apple’s Geniuses are not allowed to provide support remotely via the phone or in-person outside of Apple’s retail locations. A source has confirmed that Apple will reveal these plans to retail employees this Sunday, explaining how to properly position, explain, and sell the new offering. Not quite as sexy as new hardware or software, but it’s something, right?

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  • http://mindmirror007.blogspot.com/p/home.html Sathya

    And that needs NDA?

    • Anonymous

      sure it does. Remember that story about the Apple Consultants Alliance? How they hired On Force to handle all the business logic between a customer and the repair? Prices, service, and even branding would be handled by an invisible presence called On Force for every repair. I didnt see this coming though. Apple is going into the repair business with their highest paid employees. For really hard things they would still need Apple Consultants but I think as the Geniuses get paid more, even that business will fold into this Joint Venture thing.

  • myfriendrocks

    My friend is a Genius.. He says it’s hard keeping it real.. I have no idea what he means but I love him anyway.. :) I love you Josh!

    • Anonymous

      this kind of comment belongs on facebook. Or just not online at all.

  • you-so-late

    BTW Bret, if you’re clicking this link after 2/22/2011 you’re too late..

  • Cer

    “Not quite as sexy as new hardware or software, but it’s something, right?”

    Certainly enough to post an Apple article about and get all those views. Dolla dolla bill, ya’ll.

  • Anonymous

    Anything for a story with Apple in it, right bgr?

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Y4AJEC7WSC22KKCYIH6ANZ43CM Mile L.

      Apple has the best products by far in the industry, so anything that advances our society needs to be front and center stage. The PC era is now collapsing because the iPad is now replacing most Desktops and NetBooks, so let’s cheer Apple on as it continues to push society forward.

      • Simon Stark

        “Apple has the best products by far in the industry”

        You’re kidding, right?

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Y4AJEC7WSC22KKCYIH6ANZ43CM Mile L.

        Not sure what you mean, everyone knows Apple makes the best hardware for the money spent, have you been living in a cave?

      • Anonymous

        You troll. iPad replacing desktops? Please. iPad is replacing nothing. The netbook market has seen no definitive (let alone objective) evidence of death-by-iPad. The “tablet” industry is arguably a new market, reserved for people who have nothing better to spend their money on. “Tablets” have nothing on my vaio. It has a bigger screen, it’s more functionality, more practical, just as portable, and way less fragile all while not making me look like a huge douchebag.

      • SteveP

        Your comments do that!

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Y4AJEC7WSC22KKCYIH6ANZ43CM Mile L.

        Yes, just as Minis replaced Manframes in the 70′s, then Desktops replaced Minis, the Laptops replaced Desktops, the iPad is now replacing all Laptops, I’ve been at this for 35 years and it’s easy to see why the iPad is the next step… replacing everything before it… You’ll see!!!!!!!!!!!!

      • http://twitter.com/Fourthletter58 Fourthletter58

        “so anything that advances our society”

        Anything that helps share your zombie ass, product worshipping thoughts with the rest of the world is not advancing our society in any way.

      • Anonymous

        Apple has the Best LOOKING designs in the industry. But you likely never owned a white (or black) Macbook with top case cracks, or a 15″ MacbookPro with nVidia issue, or had been refused Applecare coverage because of a dent or ding, or a Seagate hard drive with 7.01firmware fail or overheating Titanium Powerbook, or battery swell and pop out of the case or …
        Hey, Apple Consultants, How does this make you feel…that Apple wants to become GeekSquad???

    • Anonymous

      who told your monkey ass to click on the article….you see the article under that said google and honeycomb…take your ass there…*blows off steam*

  • http://diamondpriceinfo.com Daniel Nicolas

    I wonder if they will be hiring additional ‘Genius’ level people to staff this new offering, or if they’ll try to squeeze more out of their current employees. While I’m sure small businesses may want to have a technical person available on call, and that outsourcing to Apple might cost less than hiring a temp or permanent person to their team, I’m pretty sure the pitch of ‘one of these already busy people will answer your call’ won’t fly.

    • http://twitter.com/Fourthletter58 Fourthletter58

      If you run your own business and can’t set up your own IT equipment then you deserve to be ripped off by these idiots. Back in the day before out sourcing people just educated themselves about stuff that really isn’t that complicated to begin with.

      • Fimmy

        I can see where you’re coming from; clearly you’re a very competent hands-on technologist aren’t you.
        However, there are a great many very competent technology users who are not able, nor even interested in, managing their own IT equipment.

        Here, if all the people in the world hadn’t any need for the competent, hands-on technologist then what would you do for a living? Indeed, what would you have to bitch about?

        A brilliant (modern) graphic artist, for example, may be perfectly capable intellectually to manage their IT equipment (if they had the will to be as capable as you apparently claim to be), but they may be more interested in using the technology and hiring someone to maintain it (you perhaps).

        Why cut off the arm that feeds you I ask?

  • Anonymous

    So Apple is getting into the medical Marihuana business? Cool

  • http://twitter.com/ScottyintheQ Scott Legere

    Apple was on the University of New Mexico campus just a week or so ago recruiting new employees for over-the-phone technician positions that would become available in June. The training might have started before then, I didn’t stick around long enough to hear the details…

  • Anonymous

    LAME

  • http://twitter.com/rtorcato Richard Torcato

    They should’ve called it the iJoint.

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