Apple to drop Rainbow Computer as IMC for Greece

Apple could drop its current distributor and reseller for Greece and Cyprus as the company is in talks with another Greek retailer, sources told MacScoop.

Germanos to replace Rainbow Computer

Apple's current IMC (Independant Marketing Company) in Greece, Rainbow Computer, could see its contract terminated within the next few months in favor of Germanos, a major player of Greece's consumer electronics retail market.

In addition to its Apple-related operations, the 27 year old company Rainbow Computer is providing IT services, training and telecom/networking infrastructure to Greek companies and professionals, its activities also include services and reselling for other platforms than the Macintosh.

We're not sure yet if Germanos will be an IMC as it's the case for Rainbow or just Apple's biggest reseller for Greece as we had no word from sources on the possibility that Apple brings its own presence in Greece through an "Apple Hellas" or "Apple Greece" subsidiary.

More than a decade of un-heard complains

Apple enthusiasts in Greece have been complaining at Rainbow's poor performance for more than a decade. More specifically, the Greek distributor provides shipping times that could easily reach one or two months for a Mac, poor support, expensive Greek OS localization and very marginal retail presence compared to what Germanos can provide.

Last year, Dimistris Karakatsanis, one of these Greek Apple enthusiasts even decided to launch a site called "WeWantAppleGreece.com". The site is highlighting all the problems a Greek can face when he wants to buy or obtain support for an Apple product and is asking Apple through an online petition to improve the situation for Apple's Greek customers and eventually bring its own presence in the country.

Moreover, back in 2004, while Greece was hosting the Olympic Games, we had our own anecdotal experience with a Rainbow "Apple Store Demo Centre" when we visited Akadimia's Street store. After trying to buy an accessory from this store, the staff told us that if we wanted to buy something, we had to create an account on the Greek online store then order it from there. As the name suggested, it wasn't a store but just a demo center with no ability to sell anything.

But Greeks started hoping for a better future on late January, when Apple Europe's CEO was quoted on an Italian online publication saying "many things will change in Greece within the next six months". Now it looks obvious that one of the actions that Mr. Cagni took was to look for another distribution deal for Greece.

Cosmote could win the iPhone deal

With less certainty, sources dropped us a second hint regarding the possible carrier that will sell the iPhone in Greece. The sources notice Germanos' very tight links with Cosmote which is Greece's biggest telecom company for Internet, mobile and fixed communications. Cosmote actually holds a strategic stake in Germanos which is already distributing all the products of the telecom company in Greece.

The deal with the retailer could pave the way for an Apple-Cosmote Deal for the distribution of the iPhone in Greece through Germanos' retail stores and with Cosmote contracts.

(This is not an April Fool's Joke)