Apple Targeting Business and Government

CNet reports that Apple is experimenting on new efforts to increase sales targeted at business and government customers.

According to Apple's sales chief Tim Cook, Apple has established employee purchase programs at about 100 companies, increased the number of value-added resellers and established a sales force directly targeted at the creative market and government entities.

Previous reports hinted that Apple had been courting Government sales with built in support for Department of Defense Common Access Cards and government specific logins built into Panther.

Early word of this new initiative may have been reported by ThinkSecret in August when they reported on a new "Enterprise division" at Apple, aimed at corporate sales. At that time, they felt that the details of the group would be publicized after the introduction of the long awaited G5 Xserve. Xserve rumors have been slow with some unconfirmed hints that an Xserve G5 may still be months off.