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David Christie has built a business creating software for Mac businesses "The Macintosh is a great business computer"

"Someone put a Mac under my nose and I was hooked," says business software developer David Christie. Working in business over a decade ago, he saw the lack of business software for the Mac and decided to do something about that.

"We've always believed the Macintosh was a great business computer, ever since it was first invented, and for the all same reasons that make it a great graphics computer - because it's easier to use and more fun. Business software also needs to be accurate, reliable and, robust," David writes on his website, www.macbusiness.co.nz

MacBusiness Software Limited has developed software for Mac businesses to use, for example payroll and point of sale software. But it is not always easy to find the Mac businesses to market to. They are there, albeit dispersed and in unexpected places.

Business has changed over the 12 years David has been running his business. His own Mac has moved from a Mac Plus to a sage iMac, from an emphasis on support and training to writing software and supporting that. David and a small team of developers use FileMaker to develop their wares.

The Internet has also changed the way the business operates, if slowly, cutting costs and improving reach. Mail-outs are a thing of the past, and enquiries now come from all over the world, mainly for Job Tracking and Point of Sale apps, which are internationally compliant.

E-commerce applications are still out of the question for a company of this size. The resources currently required are too much, and the tools for Internet software need to become a lot more robust and easier to use before David will consider it. Creating Internet applications is unsatisfying compared with FileMaker. "It takes five to 10 times the work to develop an Internet-based application, and the level of quality that can be achieved is disappointing."

The core business has altered to allow a greater focus on generic business software, but he also sees a lot of potential in vertical markets, or business applications specific to particular industries.

The small business is run from his Christchurch home in the hills overlooking the city. Others employed by the company live nearby, and also work in virtual offices from their homes thanks to phone switching, cell phones and the Internet.

Like other developers spoken to for this article, David does not work entirely with Mac software. He also uses the Mac platform to port software to PCs according to customer demand, carrying out any testing using Virtual PC on the iMac.

Don Woods Carriers - dedicated Mac users since 1993 An iMac and iBook keep good company at Don Woods Carriers. The iBook is especially valuable as a server (six-hour battery life) during power cuts

Don Woods Carriers is a household removals and office relocations carrier, and its trucks are familiar sights on the streets of Christchurch.

"We are dedicated Mac users and have been since 1993, when we purchased an LC III," marketing manager Frank Watson says from an open plan office in suburban Christchurch. "Currently we operate with five of the original (jelly) iMacs, a PowerMac 6400 and a 366MHz iBook. Traditionally we have only had desktop machines but, with the power crisis two years ago, the iBook was purchased as a server that will run for up to six hours in the event of a power cut. An expensive but worthwhile UPS!"

While some businesses may be upgrading their computers every three years, and handling the latest software, Don Woods Carriers is still happy with the stability it has with OS 9. Upgrading to Mac OS X would cost $5000, without additional hardware costs, mainly to upgrade Filemaker Pro and MYOB. "We don't have a $5000 problem, so we plan to stick with the tried and true for as long as we can."

"The biggest challenge we had was acquiring an operations package that could be customised to our specific business. As soon as Macintosh was mentioned, the developers jumped from $15,000 to $40,000 as a solution price. We eventually developed our own system internally on Filemaker Pro."

Key applications for the company are Filemaker Pro 4.1, MYOB Accounting and AppleWorks. The company has Jetstream Internet access, using Explorer and Outlook Express for web and email. Internal communication is now more email-based and most employees have cell phones, necessary for a company with staff so much on the move.

Inoculated
The damage done by viruses is enough to keep Don Woods Carriers from Windows PCs. They did try using it through Virtual PC on an iMac, but as Frank said, Windows gave him more headaches running under Virtual PC in five months than he had had in seven years of using Macs, so it was canned. "We now have MS Office 2001 for Macs, and this handles almost every document. It is used maybe once a month! Anything else, we don't worry about."

Macs are low maintenance. "We find that we can sort out most computer problems ourselves, and whilst we have support consultants, our calls to them are only once or twice a year."

Making the most of the sunny weather Canterbury is known for - technology means forecasts can be made from anywhere

Blue Skies is New Zealand's only independent weather forecaster. Most people rely on the government-run Met Service but a few (around one per cent, perhaps) require the customised weather forecasts that Blue Skies offers. Its forecasts have to be sold so it can carry on business. "They are accurate enough that we are still in business after 15 years," says company director Tony Trewinnard.

Tony was responsible for forecasting those brilliant sky-scapes up the Rangitata Valley, although the Lord of the Rings films don't acknowledge this when the credits roll.

From homes in Christchurch suburbs to the hills of North Canterbury, Blue Skies hums along on a number of Apple computers. Tony did have a PC for a while, but switched to Apple after the PC let him down at a crucial moment. Now the whole business relies on Apple computers: a G4 tower, a Cube, a PowerBook, an iBook, an iMac, and an older PowerMac.

Accuracy and reliability are vital to the business. Those paying for the company's services really need accurate information. They may have to make decisions about hiring expensive equipment, as do apple or grape growers during early or late frosts when helicopters offer crop protection at up to $1000 per hour. Farmers need to know what to do to mitigate the costs of the weather, or take advantage of the opportunities it offers. Something like 17,000 dairy farmers rely on the forecasts through fencepost.com

Indispensable
Fifteen years ago weather forecasting required gadgets and aerials, but these days computers are indispensable tools of the trade. Most of the weather data tools are Internet-based. Observation and readings are still taken by individuals and added to a pool of information sent from ships, aircraft or satellites to government-run meteorological services, which companies like Blue Skies can draw on. However weather predictions probably owe as much these days to computer models capable of mimicking the physics of the atmosphere, enabling predictions to be made up to 16 days ahead with a reasonable degree of accuracy.

Macpac - manufacturing of high end packs, tents and clothing might be heading overseas, but the HQ with the Macs is staying in Christchurch

In late July, Macpac Wilderness Equipment dropped the bombshell that all its manufacturing would soon be carried out overseas, with a loss of more than 100 jobs. What many people don't know is that Macpac is a large user of Apple computers, using them for administration as well as design and promotion.

The company was in fact created out of two. The Macpac side, making the colourful backpacks with internal frames, was begun by Bruce McIntyre in 1973, and it merged with Dunedin firm Wilderness Equipment in 1983. WI made tents, sleeping bags and clothing. The company manufactures for the high end of the market: for the outdoor adventurer, rather than the family camper.

Macpac has had a long history with Apple computers dating back to 1986, when Dennis Parker - finance manager at the time - did some research into the best system for the company. Soon it purchased an Apple SE and, 16 years later, there are 70 networked iMacs, iBooks, PowerBooks and G4 servers, with a few older machines doing service as fax servers and so on, all looked after by Tanya Gabites and two other IT staff. It is not, however, a Mac-only zone. There is a PC in the factory that runs a program called Nester to reduce waste material when cutting, and a Unix server. But the design work is done on PAD, a Canadian CAD programme that runs on the Mac.

Tanya Gabites was fresh out of school when the company computerised, and she's largely self-taught; she has grown up with the machines and is responsible for some of the innovative uses of technology, mostly to do with getting access to data quickly and in real time. Some of it has saved the company serious money. Faced with a $50,000 bill for networking the distribution warehouse using a radio frequency, Macpac instead bought two graphite iBooks, an AirPort Base Station and USB barcode scanners for $10,000.

Tanya says that when she meets IT staff from other companies (she is an IT manager in everything but title) she is amazed by the number of people it takes to look after PC networks and software. She says they spend a lot of time fighting fires and setting up new users. The IT people at Macpac faces far fewer problems than their PC counterparts, so spend the time focusing on development.

Keeping Mac
Macpac moved its operation into a purpose-built factory in Addington, a Christchurch industrial suburb, six years ago and manufacturing boomed for a while. Apple computers may have kept company costs down, but they don't immunise you against the effects of market forces - such as an improved New Zealand dollar making the items more expensive for people to buy, and fluctuations in numbers travelling in the last two years.

Unsustainable losses forced the decision to see remaining production move to the Philippines, Vietnam and China later this year; tents and sleeping bags are already being manufactured offshore in Vietnam and Malaysia. However, the administration, design and promotion staff will remain, along with the Australasian distribution network, which is responsible for half the company sales.

And the Macs will be staying put.

• Total cost of ownership (initial cost, support and maintenance costs) is less with the Mac. How to work out the total costs - or TCO - on a machine - www.thebusinessmac.com/features/tco_hardware.shtml
• The life of the asset is longer and resale value is higher. Typically businesses replace their computers within three years, but many Macs will last five or six and can be retired to do single functions, e.g.: fax server
• Greater productivity - people produce more chargeable work using a Mac due to an efficient user interface and the decreased downtime caused by upgrades, repairs and maintenance.
• Easy to set up new users and networks
• Virtually no viruses to cope with
• Fewer compatibility issues because the hardware and OS software come from the same company
• True plug and play: adding devices, peripherals, and upgrading the system is simple compared to PC headaches
• Software is more consistent, having been written to uniform standards
• Mac users tend to use their machines for a greater variety of tasks
• It's easier to try things out without risk of breaking the machine or upsetting the delicate balance of registry settings in Windows
• Unix foundation: this gives the platform credibility, stability and compatibility, not to mention a wealth of software resources
• Staff love using a nice/friendly/likeable computer
• Good design: Macs look very smart on the front desk
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Corporate Look - iMacs, whatever their vintage, look good on the front desk. This is the scene at Corporate Print and Copy

Websites - If you are thinking of setting up a Mac-based business, or you are already involved with one, these websites might be useful

• www.biz.org.nz - NZ has a number of small business centres willing to help with advice, free Enterprise Training courses, mentoring etc
• www.sbecnz.org.nz - Small business centre, offers advice and education throughout New Zealand
• www.workbridge.co.nz - This government agency will sometimes fund equipment to help those with disabilities set up in business
• www.tpk.govt.nz/business - Te Puni Kokiri, for Maori interested in starting up a business or improving an existing business
• www.frst.govt.nz/about/about-technz.cfm - Links to help available for research and development
• www.nzte.govt.nz - Information on funding and other help for marketing a product overseas
• www.apple.com/business - New Zealand does not have a website specifically on Apple computers in business, but this one for US businesses has links to hardware, software and other useful information
• www.macpeopledownunder.net - MacPeopleDownunder, a list of Mac Professionals in New Zealand and Australia

Books

• Foundations for Growth: A New Zealand Guide to Business Improvement, published by Industry New Zealand (now known as Trade and Enterprise)

Rachael Peters, a customer service consultant for Corporate Copy and Print, a Mac firm since 1991, finds working with her iMac is a pleasure.