Apple Scrapping VAD Concept?
October 4, 2008 by Magnus Nystedt
We’ve heard for a long time now that the IMC (Independent Marketing Company) concept, which Apple has applied for regions where they’ve had no direct presence of their own, including the Middle East, has been on the way out.
Instead of IMC, the label VAD (Value Added Distributor) has been applied. We’ve even heard this from various sources about ABM (the IMC for Middle East), but it’s not been officially confirmed or announced, that we know of at least.
Tonight we can read on WeWantAppleGreece.com that allegedly the VAD label is being scratched - apparently before it’s even widely applied through the CEMEA (Central Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region - in favor of Apple Authorized Distributor (AAD?).
WeWantAppleGreece.com makes an interesting observation, writing “This new title is obviously leaves room for the entry and other distributors in each country” (translation from Google Translator).
They finally add that an official announcement should come earl next week.
Like with the change from IMC to VAD we don’t know what, if any, change this means for the actual operations in our region. We’ll have to wait for an official announcement before we can tell you that.
Hello Magnus.
The “announcement” I said and you mentioned on “They finally add that an official announcement should come earl next week” goes to Apple Service Providers. No announcement heard for new AADs.
All the info there is on CEMEA’s page http://www.apple.com/euro/cemea/
Read carefully and you will see there is no more VAD mention.
Also, our ex-IMC, ex-VAD has put the Authorized Distributor title in its website (http://www.rainbow.gr).
Greetings from Greece.
Thanks Dimitris, this is valuable information. Indeed on Apple’s page it just says AAD now, but on “our” AAD it still says “IMC”
Yes indeed, only 2 ex-VADs have put the new title at their websites in time; the Greek Co and that for Czech Republic.
All the others are IMCs or VADs - in their minds of course
Have you see this page?
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1434?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_GR
There is a link for United Arab Emirates too, but all links for CEMEA countries are going to the well-known CEMEA page. This will change soon.
Take a Look at Ireland’s page.
http://www.apple.com/ie/buy/locator/
This is was it should like our pages soon. BTW the Greek Post Codes I tried on this page are working in half. They give result of the place in Greece with its name, but no AAD or AASP yet. Try UAE codes too.
Have a nice day Magnus.
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