Renaissance itself, and the 12 other businesses under the company's umbrella, are all in the final throes of being Yoobee-branded. These included RED (an education-focused trainer), MagnumMac, StudentIT, Conduit, Insite (builder of intel-based servers), Natcoll ... the group had 220 associated URLs, 13 company websites, and six eCommerce sites – and none of them talked to each other. There were even 25 different free-call numbers – they have been consolidated into a single, 27/7 free-call number.
The Apple distribution business is still called Renaissance (this business supplies Macs and other Apple products to Apple Resellers).
CEO Rick Webb told me "We knew the world was changing around us. Apple had notified the company in 2005 that they were going to take a more active role in our business, would take over apple.co.nz, then supply trans-Tasman retailers like JB HiFi and Dick Smith themselves and eventually introduce another local distributor and, someday, maybe open an Apple Store [in New Zealand]. All the options were clearly articulated well in advance, and 2010 was the crunch year.
"So it was an interesting time. We had to deal with the introduction of a second distributor [Ingram Micro], continual reductions in margins – which is the norm all over the world."
As is having multiple distributors in every country.
"So we expected it, it was coming, and we had to restructure ourselves around our reason to exist, which would be to add some value above and beyond just providing boxes of Apple hardware. And this would emanate in the form of training, education, services and app development.
"So we have assembled a great team around us." One result is a stakeholder management tool called Engage. You can see the product in action as the engine behind the community on the yoobee.com site.
"We believe this is the next generation beyond CRM (customer relationship management)."
Engage seeks to invigorate and connect the virtual and analogue creative communities. 'You be whatever you want to be' – or as the company puts it, "Who will Yoobee?"
I had to ask how Apple continually squeezing the margins for Apple resellers while moving software sales towards entirely online (with the Mac App store), taking away another revenue stream (boxed software in real stores) from resellers has impacted business.
Rick says they've been having to think laterally. "We think Lion is going to be a huge opportunity, actually."
Despite not being able to sell it at Yoobee stores?
"Yes. It's a huge opportunity for app developers. We already have five or six world class apps on the iTunes Store."
These are My Secret Diary; Private Journal; Mondo Travel Diary; Yoobee Engage; Engage Docs; and iFindfoodfast.
Rick thinks Lion is going to be another huge opportunity to move into the Apple ecosystem as a Mac app developer. "We can safely say that we are building for the [Mac] App Store too. We have no doubt other vendors will also build app distribution systems. We have Apple in our DNA but we are, where we are now, agnostic and we'll move to where the world moves.
"In a nutshell, it's good were not selling boxes of Apple operating systems in our stores as it's making us work smarter in other areas."
When you think about it, Renaissance has been limited with selling products in New Zealand. With this new model, app sales give Yoobee a global reach and presence.
Meanwhile, the Natcoll campus in Christchurch suffered from the quake. The building survived and was still standing, but developed structural concerns through the following aftershocks. Students have been able to transfer to Auckland and Wellington campuses.
The Student IT campus shop has had to be moved as well as the MagnumMac shop. (MagnumMac and Natcoll were both founded by Murray Wood in Christchurch. Murray tragically lost his life in the quake – the businesses had already been sold to Renaissance, and he was on the board.)
"Renaissance has also recently come up with a new model for short courses. It has launched a YOOBEE-branded venture in Sydney with the Whitehouse Institute of Design, a highly-regarded design school offering a Bachelor of Design in Sydney and Melbourne. In fact, it's Melbourne campus is also recognisable as the campus home for Foxtel's Project Runway TV show."
"It's a beautiful venue and we have a lab there now. We're launching short courses with the intention of launching accredited vocational education courses in digital media from January 2012."
Natcoll has long done short courses, but the ground has shifted with people in their 30s, 40s and 50s retraining for different types of jobs, or to get back into the job market – 'reskilling'.
Natcoll Design Technology is currently being renamed 'Yoobee at Natcoll Design School' as a transition to just 'Yoobee Design School'.
With all the businesses communicating viably and with the concern moving forward into the cloud, as it were, and reaching out into the the opportunities available, Yoobee is poised to become a bigger player.
I'll leave the last word to Rick: "Generally, I think there was a little bit of resistance to change. There have been so many environmental shocks to our business, from inside and outside. But I think that people are now embracing change and recognising the world's changing around them."
He finishes "Our only real differentiator is the ability to adapt to change swiftly."
Free workshop
Yoobee is hosting a free Tony Harrington Workshop. The photographer, filmmaker and founder of the World Heli Challenge, 'Harro' creates and produces major adventure projects around the world. He has garnered more than 150 covers and numerous international awards.
The Adventure & extreme sports photography workshop is on Tuesday 19 July
6-8pm at Yoobee Newmarket, 123 Broadway Newmarket, Auckland.
To attend, you have to be registered (also free) in the Yoobee community and fill in the Promo Code 0711TONY in the right-hand menu bar on the Yoobee site.
- Mark Webster mac-nz.com
