One of the slickest things Apple ever did to lure consumers to its products was creating the Genius Bar and Apple Care, offering fast, face-to-face customer support. Now, Apple is taking the same approach to small-biz IT support with a service called Joint Venture.
The outlook for IT spending this year is looking up. Research firm Gartner said Thursday it expects revenue to grow 5.1% from 2010, an increase from a previous forecast of 3.5% growth.
Cisco's positive earnings reflected a broader good news story among technology companies, which seem to be enjoying a recovery. During the second quarter, the networking gear maker's revenue climbed to $9.8 billion -- up 8% from the year-ago quarter. But will the tech rebound last?