The Wall Street Journal today published an interesting story about Apple’s legendary policy of secrecy and how it may be hurting them with coroporate buyers. Apple’s fanatical level of secrecy is an issues that I have been harping on for years: corporate feel burned when they spend large amounts of money on dated computers right before a new model is announced (Xserve anyone?). I don’t blame them.
The problem is that Apple doesn’t care about the corporate market anymore and has concede it to Dell and Microsoft — which is a shame. It is Apple’s insane level of secrecy that had lead to the rise of the independent online journalist – if Apple won’t provide you with the details, we will. Ironic, isn’t it?
Apple Computer Inc. generates buzz for its new products by obsessively enforcing a strict secrecy policy. But the policy can sometimes leave partners, big customers and even employees in the dark.
Consider Hewlett-Packard Co.’s recent experience. In early 2004, H-P cut a deal to repackage Apple’s iPod digital music player and sell it with the H-P label. Even though they were partners, Apple often didn’t tell H-P about new iPod models until the day before they were introduced to the public, people familiar with the matter say. That left H-P scrambling to package and stamp its name on the jointly branded iPods for months after Apple put its version on sale.
What’s more, Apple insisted H-P work on iPods under tight security, even though Apple’s versions in some cases were already sitting on store shelves, one person who was involved in the relationship between the companies says. For reasons including the secrecy issue, H-P terminated its Apple deal last August.
WSJ.com – At Apple, Secrecy Complicates Life But Maintains Buzz (subscription req’d)
technorati tags:Apple, Secrecy
The Wall Street Journal today published an interesting story about Apple’s legendary policy of secrecy and how it may be hurting them with coroporate buyers. Apple’s fanatical level of secrecy is an issues that I have been harping on for years: corporate feel burned when they spend large amounts of money on dated computers right before a new model is announced (Xserve anyone?). I don’t blame them.
The problem is that Apple doesn’t care about the corporate market anymore and has concede it to Dell and Microsoft — which is a shame. It is Apple’s insane level of secrecy that had lead to the rise of the independent online journalist – if Apple won’t provide you with the details, we will. Ironic, isn’t it?
Apple Computer Inc. generates buzz for its new products by obsessively enforcing a strict secrecy policy. But the policy can sometimes leave partners, big customers and even employees in the dark.
Consider Hewlett-Packard Co.’s recent experience. In early 2004, H-P cut a deal to repackage Apple’s iPod digital music player and sell it with the H-P label. Even though they were partners, Apple often didn’t tell H-P about new iPod models until the day before they were introduced to the public, people familiar with the matter say. That left H-P scrambling to package and stamp its name on the jointly branded iPods for months after Apple put its version on sale.
What’s more, Apple insisted H-P work on iPods under tight security, even though Apple’s versions in some cases were already sitting on store shelves, one person who was involved in the relationship between the companies says. For reasons including the secrecy issue, H-P terminated its Apple deal last August.
WSJ.com – At Apple, Secrecy Complicates Life But Maintains Buzz (subscription req’d)
