Apple Provides Subscription Services For Business And Small Business

JAKARTA – Apple Inc. on Wednesday, November 10, launched a new subscription service aimed at helping small business owners manage the Apple devices used by their employees.

Business Essentials, as Apple calls the service, is similar to the management software companies like Microsoft Corp or VMware Inc sell to big businesses to set up and keep their fleet of phones, laptops and tablets secure. But Apple's version is streamlined for businesses with between 50 and 500 employees who have little or no IT department.

The service will cost between $2.99 and $12.99 per month per user depending on how many devices the business wants to manage per employee and how much cloud storage the business wants.

For an additional monthly fee, Apple will also offer a service to repair or replace faulty hardware in business within four hours, though the company said it has yet to set a price for that service.

"Time is of the essence — for small businesses, it's one of their most valuable resources," Susan Prescott, Apple's vice president of corporate marketing and education, told Reuters in an interview. "When they start to grow, there is more demand on their time. It can be a substitute for running a business doing the things they need to do."

Maribel Lopez, founder, and principal analyst at Lopez Research said that installing management software with a repair service subscription is unique in the industry.

"People will think the part is unimportant, but I think they underestimate the power of being able to get really good service," he said.

Apple said it will begin testing Business Essentials in the United States on Wednesday and will run free until the service is finalized next year. Apple plans to expand it to other locations in the future, executives said.