Some of the overlooked gems among Apple’s Web pages are the Apple Small Business, Science & Technology and Apple Solution Experts Web sites. As they’re invaluable sources of information, MacCentral is offering an overview of the sites.
One of the most important areas of the Small Business Web site is the ” Running Your Business ” area, which is divided into four business basics — “Managing Your Money,” “Managing Your Technology,” “Managing Your Office” and “Managing Your Sales & Marketing.”
“This area provides the helpful tools a small-medium business needs to get through the daily grind with the efficiency and pizzazz Mac users have come to expect,” Michelle Zeiss told MacCentral. Zeiss is from Connected Marketing, the agency who co-produces content for some of the Apple Web sites. “Most small-medium businesses would rather spend time and energy on the things they do best, not struggle through the daily tasks of actually running the business. That’s where Apple steps in to make life easier.”
” Managing Your Money ” showcases a variety of Mac solutions for the Mac to help small businesses work through their commerce related needs. ” Managing Your Technology ” spotlights productivity and efficiency tools in desktop, mobile computing, cross-platform and backup technology, among others.
” Managing Your Office ” is designed to help streamline business administration chores. ” Managing Your Sales & Marketing ” offers ways for small business to promote themselves, raise capital, increase sales and improve customer relations — all with a Mac, naturally.
The Small Business site also offers success stories of companies taking advantage of Mac technologies. Currently spotlighted is Ravenswood Winery, which blends the centuries-old tradition of French winemaking with an ultra-modern Macintosh network.
On the Science & Technology Web site Apple highlights general science discipline areas where the Mac is used in research and discovery. Customer stories, articles and third-party products are included in each of these disciplines.
“In recent months we’ve ran articles called Technology Roundups on some of the key Apple technologies used in science today, with more in the works,” Zeiss said. “In these articles we give an introduction to the technology relative to it’s importance in the sciences and include customer profiles highlighting how the technology is used in their environment.”
For example, ” Web Objects Technology Roundup,” in the life sciences section, shows how Apple’s WebObjects is quickly making its way into the worlds of medical informatics and bioinformatics where researchers or medical professionals need to extract information from vast genomic or medical databases. ” Digital Imaging Technology Roundup,” in scientific imaging, shows how advances in Apple’s digital imaging technologies make it easier than ever to capture, manipulate, analyze, print and archive medical and scientific images.
“We also write Profiles in Science on interesting and well-known scientists in their field who use Macintosh,” Zeiss said. Check out ” Life science,” ” Scientific Imaging,” and ” Physical science ” for examples.
There are also articles that highlight other science professionals who are using Macs in their work within a variety of settings. Among the recent stories are: ” AeroVironment and their use of Macintosh to design and test solar-powered aircraft ” and ” The Cornell University MacCHESS Facility and use of Macintosh for protein crystallography research and the GNU-Darwin project to bring open-source research tools to the Mac.”
The Apple Solution Experts (ASE) site is designed for consultants, trainers and resellers handling Apple products. The ASE program, in Apple’s words, “connects you to the information and resources you need to build and maintain a prosperous business as a Macintosh consultant, trainer or reseller.”
The site also serves up success stories in these areas, such as: ” Medical Databases: A Vision of Efficiency for Optical Shops,” ” Sing-Si Ltd.: Masters of Creativity and Customer Service,” ” Techknowsphere: Inspiring Creativity, One Child at a Time ” and ” Fong Enterprise: You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too!.”
The Apple Solution Experts ” Getting Started ” pages highlight how businesses can use the power of Apple technologies, such as digital video, AppleScript, QuickTime and ColorSync, while also providing access to consultation and training expertise. There are specialized solutions pages where customers find success stories within their field including Arts, SciTech, Small Business, and Education.
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