There’s been plenty of hubbub this week about a top-secret Apple retail meeting set for Sunday night after the close of business. Rumors of new MacBook Pros and the iPad 2 aside, the meeting appears to be focused on a new Genius Bar service aimed at small businesses.
BGR is reporting that Apple employees will be holding a quarterly meeting this Sunday, February 27 at retail locations across the country. That alone isn’t too newsworthy, but apparently “staffers have been asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement,” which has raised the eyebrows of tech journalists.
Despite rumors of new MacBook Pro models on Thursday and a possible iPad 2 unveiling next Wednesday, it turns out that Sunday’s retail pow-wow might be totally unrelated. Instead, the topic of the hour will be a new Apple retail initiative dubbed “Joint Venture,” apparently an extension of the current Genius Bar offerings.
“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,” BGR reveals. “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.”
Joint Venture is mostly notable because Genius Bar staffers are currently forbidden from providing telephone or in-person support services, so it would seem that Apple may be stepping up their game in this area, at least for pro users and small businesses.
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