News: Going Beyond Apple’s Core

Soon you will be able to control almost every appliance in your home from your iPhone, and your local Soon you will be able to control almost every appliance in your home from your iPhone, and your local MagnumMac store will be ready to help you make that happen. This is the vision of Richard Webb, who took the helm of MagnumMac’s parent company, Renaissance Corporation, in January. Renaissance is also the sole New Zealand distributor of Apple products, apart from the iPhone, and Webb sees great opportunities for the company to launch more Apple-related products locally. Webb joined Renaissance in January, following the December departure of Paul Johnston, who resigned after the company downgraded its profit expectations for 2009 from a projected $1.7 to $2 million to $700,000. While Webb says it is still too soon to outline his strategy for the company, he has revealed that he sees great opportunities for the company to tap into the premium Apple peripherals market, including iPhone or iPod-controlled home automation systems. “Our aim is to become the single largest Apple-related product distributor in the market,” he says. The company is in talks to launch a variety of new Apple-related products into New Zealand, following contacts made at January’s International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. “We saw some fantastic products at CES. There has been a huge shift in the Apple peripheral business – it continues to grow in leaps and bounds.” Products on show included a range of new speaker and sound systems with iPod or iPhone docking capabilities, as well as more car systems offering iPod and iPhone integration. There was even a number of iPhone-controlled robots, including a flying drone. However, Webb does not expect there to be a big market in New Zealand for such a device. Instead, he is excited by the potential of the plethora of new products at CES that integrate controls for various appliances and devices in the home or office, and which can regulate usage of power and other utilities. This included devices and applications controlled by an iPhone. “There were some fascinating things in that space,” says Webb. The convergence between home automation, entertainment and computing presents great opportunities for the MagnumMac business, says Webb. “There is a huge emerging market for convergence in the home between entertainment, music, computing and home automation. With MagnumMac there is great scope to do more with that convergence, and offer value-added services to help people converge these technologies with the core range still being Apple.” With 11 MagnumMac stores across the country, as well as four Student IT outlets, Renaissance has a strong retail business, says Webb, adding that a strategic review is currently underway to enhance its retail offering. “We’ve got some exciting things coming up.” But exactly what will be on offer will only be revealed after the review, with Webb promising that MagnumMac remain a premium retail outlet offering plenty of value-added services.” MagnumMac store will be ready to help you make that happen. This is the vision of Richard Webb, who took the helm of MagnumMac’s parent company, Renaissance Corporation, in January.

Renaissance is also the sole New Zealand distributor of Apple products, apart from the iPhone, and Webb sees great opportunities for the company to launch more Apple-related products locally.

Webb joined Renaissance in January, following the December departure of Paul Johnston, who resigned after the company downgraded its profit expectations for 2009 from a projected $1.7 to $2 million to $700,000.

While Webb says it is still too soon to outline his strategy for the company, he has revealed that he sees great opportunities for the company to tap into the premium Apple peripherals market, including iPhone or iPod-controlled home automation systems.

“Our aim is to become the single largest Apple-related product distributor in the market,” he says.

The company is in talks to launch a variety of new Apple-related products into New Zealand, following contacts made at January’s International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

“We saw some fantastic products at CES. There has been a huge shift in the Apple peripheral business – it continues to grow in leaps and bounds.”

Products on show included a range of new speaker and sound systems with iPod or iPhone docking capabilities, as well as more car systems offering iPod and iPhone integration. There was even a number of iPhone-controlled robots, including a flying drone. However, Webb does not expect there to be a big market in New Zealand for such a device.

Instead, he is excited by the potential of the plethora of new products at CES that integrate controls for various appliances and devices in the home or office, and which can regulate usage of power and other utilities. This included devices and applications controlled by an iPhone. “There were some fascinating things in that space,” says Webb.

The convergence between home automation, entertainment and computing presents great opportunities for the MagnumMac  business, says Webb.

“There is a huge emerging market for convergence in the home between entertainment, music, computing and home automation. With MagnumMac  there is great scope to do more with that convergence, and offer value-added services to help people converge these technologies with the core range still being Apple.”

With 11 MagnumMac  stores across the country, as well as four Student IT outlets, Renaissance has a strong retail business, says Webb, adding that a strategic review is currently underway to enhance its retail offering. “We’ve got some exciting things coming up.”

But exactly what will be on offer will only be revealed after the review, with Webb promising that MagnumMac  remain a premium retail outlet offering plenty of value-added services.