InfoAnda - Insight: Despite sanctions, Apple gear booms in Iran |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Debt-hit Greece threatened with health supply freeze | 30 May 2010
Curious whales give boost to Mexican fishermen | 10 March 2010
Japan fund to invest 1.9 bln dlrs in SKorea trade zone: agency | 4 March 2009

Taliban call for Afghans to boycott runoff poll | 24 October 2009

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Insight: Despite sanctions, Apple gear booms in Iran |

Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Home Business Business Home Economy Technology Media Small Business Legal Deals Earnings Social Pulse Business Video The Freeland File Aerospace & Defense Markets Markets Home U.S. Markets European Markets Asian Markets Global Market Data Indices M&A Stocks Bonds Currencies Commodities Futures Funds peHUB World World Home U.S. Brazil China Euro Zone Japan Mexico Russia India Insight World Video Reuters Investigates Decoder Politics Politics Home Election 2012 Campaign Polling Tales from the Trail Political Punchlines Supreme Court Politics Video Tech Technology Home MediaFile Science Tech Video Tech Tonic Social Pulse Opinion Opinion Home Chrystia Freeland John Lloyd Felix Salmon Jack Shafer David Rohde Bernd Debusmann Nader Mousavizadeh Lucy P. Marcus David Cay Johnston Bethany McLean Anatole Kaletsky Edward Hadas Hugo Dixon Ian Bremmer Lawrence Summers Susan Glasser The Great Debate Steven Brill Jack & Suzy Welch Frederick Kempe Christopher Papagianis Mark Leonard Breakingviews Equities Credit Private Equity M&A Macro & Markets Politics Breakingviews Video Money Money Home Tax Break Lipper Awards 2012 Global Investing MuniLand Unstructured Finance Linda Stern Mark Miller John Wasik James Saft Analyst Research Alerts Watchlist Portfolio Stock Screener Fund Screener Personal Finance Video Money Clip Investing 201 Life Health Sports Arts Faithworld Business Traveler Entertainment Oddly Enough Lifestyle Video Pictures Pictures Home Reuters Photographers Full Focus Video Reuters TV Reuters News Article Comments (0) Slideshow Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read DC officer investigated over alleged remark about first lady: report 12 Jul 2012 Suspicious wires discovered, but no bomb on Delta plane 1:31am EDT Insight: The curious case of Iowa broker's Romanian property empire 2:31am EDT Man charged with killing his three daughters in Wisconsin 12 Jul 2012 Moody's downgrades Italy by two notches, might cut more 3:42am EDT Discussed 119 Texas governor rejects two provisions of health law 107 Russia’s Putin says the West is on the decline 104 Obama team targets Romney over taxes, Republicans cry foul Watched Dental cyborg serves as perfect patient Wed, Jul 11 2012 NATO supplies cross Pakistan-Afghan border Thu, Jul 12 2012 Cutting edge technologies on display at Farnborough Air Show. Wed, Jul 11 2012 Pictures Reuters Photojournalism Our day's top images, in-depth photo essays and offbeat slices of life. See the best of Reuters photography. See more | Photo caption Rolling Stones at 50 Half a century has passed since the Stones first live gig. Slideshow Potato's ancient home The ancestral home of the potato is in the Andes mountain region of South America. Slideshow Insight: Despite sanctions, Apple gear booms in Iran Tweet Share this Email Print Related News FBI probes China's ZTE over Iran tech deals: report 2:15am EDT U.S. cracks down on Iran's oil tanker company, exposes fronts Thu, Jul 12 2012 Brent ends above $101 on Iran sanctions, supply woes Thu, Jul 12 2012 China preempts Apple on iPhone 5 launch Thu, Jul 12 2012 Sanctions squeeze forces Iran to cut oilfield flow Tue, Jul 10 2012 Analysis & Opinion Ad startup Session M nabs big clients, expands First wave of U.S. living wills has limitations, but offers useful start Related Topics Tech » Media » iPad » 1 of 3. A combination picture shows the screen grabs taken on July 9, 2012 of the Apple web site in the U.S (R) and a store in Tehran called Apple Iran. Credit: Reuters/Staff By Marcus George DUBAI | Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:05am EDT DUBAI (Reuters) - At its gleaming store, RadanMac offers the latest Apple gear - the new iPad, iPhones, iPods, laptops, all-in-one desktop computers and more. But this is no ordinary Apple store. It's in Tehran, where Apple and other U.S. computer products are banned under U.S. sanctions that have been in place for years. Despite the embargo, RadanMac is one of an estimated 100 stores in the Iranian capital that openly sell Apple products, often at little more than U.S. prices. "Business has been booming for the last three years," said Majid Tavassoli, the store's owner, in a phone interview. He said his company employs more than 20 staffers and has been supplying Apple products to Iranian buyers since 1995. The company also has a servicing unit and a business sales arm whose clients have included the Central Bank of Iran, state television channels, newspapers and design professionals. Iran's booming Apple business underscores the limitations of economic sanctions by the United States and other countries. Washington and its allies have imposed sanctions in an attempt to curb Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran maintains is peaceful. U.S. companies are barred from selling any goods or services to Iran unless they obtain special authorization. The focus of the sanctions has been on Iran's banks and oil industry, Iranian individuals and companies that Western capitals believe are assisting what they suspect is Tehran's drive towards a nuclear weapons capability. But U.S. consumer products and computer equipment are another matter. Although they are banned, enterprising Iranian merchants continue to source them through underground trade routes in the Middle East and beyond. In the case of Apple, some digital sales of music, videos and software go directly through the California company - via its iTunes and App Store online services. According to Tehran computer dealers, Iran is a rapidly growing market for software downloads: Iranians register Apple accounts with randomly-chosen addresses outside the country, and use foreign gift-cards to pay for purchases. In response, a spokesman for Apple Inc referred Reuters to its export control policy that restricts it or any subsidiaries it owns from exporting any products to Iran. Once considered rare and sought-after, iPhones and iPads are now de rigueur in Iran among those who can afford them. The epicenter of the trade is Tehran's largest technology mall, the bustling Capital Computer Complex, where more than 350 traders supply products for Iran's increasingly tech-savvy population. One of RadanMac's competitors is a smaller firm called Apple Iran. Its website is a nearly exact replica of Apple's own, except for the Persian language and a disclaimer: "This website is not in anyway affiliated with Apple Inc." Apple has been attempting to shut it down, according to a person familiar with the matter. "We're really proud of it," says Apple Iran spokesman Ali Afghah, an Apple enthusiast and author of a Farsi-language study on the history of the company. "I'm known as the Apple guy by friends and family," said the 28-year-old, who bought his first Apple computer in 2002 and now describes himself as a "Mac-head." "It was different then," he said. "The products were around double the price." Like RadanMac, Apple Iran boasts an impressive cast of corporate customers for its services. Along with major Iranian banks, they have included IRIB - Iran's state broadcasting network - newspapers and magazines, Afghah said. "There must be at least 1,000 editors in Iran now using Macs, if not more," he estimated. Neither government officials nor editors responded to requests for comment on whether they used Apple technology. In recent months, Afghah said, Apple Iran has seen sales decline because of tough new sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its allies against Iran's financial sector. The new measures have caused Iran's currency, the rial, to plummet and made international payments from Iranian banks much more complex. The company relies on a steady stream of creative individuals - including musicians, film editors and photographers - to keep its business going. Tavassoli set up RadanMac - in Farsi, the word "radan" means "the one who does everything correctly" - after his employer, a Middle Eastern computer company, pulled out of Iran. He had worked there as a service engineer for Apple products. Left with the company's spare parts, he said he invested a few thousand dollars and spent the next 15 years combining his love of Apple technology with trying to make a living out of it. "To start with, it was really tough," said the 51-year-old. "Four of my colleagues gave up and moved back to the States. But I love what I do." Despite the sanctions, Tavassoli said there was no shortage of business because of Iranians' love for the latest technology. Still, sales come with major headaches and taking big investment risks. Like many traders, he prefers to order directly from distributors in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. But the tightening embargoes against Iran's financial system since the beginning of this year now make direct shipments more problematic, especially if they are large. He can use Dubai or Turkey as an alternative transit point but that incurs additional duties and shipping fees. Iranian customs also needs to be paid: around 4% for portable products and a whopping 60% for larger components, such as desktop iMacs and monitors. Even so, prices often remain competitive with authorized Apple dealers outside Iran. The lowest spec MacBook Pro was priced in Tehran this month at around $1,250, compared to $1,200 (before tax) for the slightly updated model in New York. This is significantly cheaper than buying the product in many European capitals. The fluctuations in Iran's volatile open market dollar rate mean that prices change every day. Apple dealers in Iran often manage to obtain the company's newest models within weeks of their release and at reasonable prices. The latest releases also show up sooner via opportunistic travelers who purchase them abroad and resell them at highly inflated prices. Obtaining spare parts poses particular challenges. RadanMac draws customers by offering a one-year service contract with all sales. "It's Iranian Apple Care," Tavassoli said with a chuckle, alluding to the name of Apple's own technical support and warranty services. In the absence of a reliable supply of spare parts his team often has to borrow from new computers to fix old ones. "It's one of the most difficult issues we face," he says. In the meantime, Iranian demand for Apple's own online stores is rising, say Apple traders who report a sharp rise in requests from customers. Thirty-year-old computer engineer Sina, who didn't want his family name to be published, said he set up an iTunes account for his girlfriend after buying her an iPod. Computer users in Iran trying to download directly from iTunes eventually will see a "1009 error message," which indicates that the service is blocked to the country from which the connection is being made. Sina said he circumvented the block on Iranian Internet addresses by using a secure, virtual private network to access the Apple website. Then he downloaded iTunes. He first tried to register an account with a U.S. address he found on the Internet, but encountered problems. But a Canadian address worked. He also bought online a Canadian gift card to make purchases. "Everything worked fine," he said. He noted that many young Iranians use gift cards on iTunes to buy games and apps, not music. "In Iran, music is mostly piracy and just copied to iTunes from other sources," he said. Iranian computer sellers agree the practice of outfoxing iTunes is becoming very common in Iran. Tavassoli says his company now focuses on Farsi-language educational tools it has developed for its clients. He has produced video tutorials, given seminars and produced an app for iPhone users that is available on iTunes. "If you can provide your customers with everything they need, you'll survive," said the entrepreneur, who spent seven years in the United States. Tavassoli's investment and hard work seem to have paid off. But not being allowed contact with the company he has devoted his career to remains an enduring source of frustration. "Over the years I've personally installed more than 4,000 Macs here," he said. "Apple would be so damn proud of me and yet it doesn't even know me. That hurts, that really hurts." (Marcus George reported from Dubai; additional reporting by Steve Stecklow in Washington and London; edited by Mike Williams) Tech Media iPad Related Quotes and News Company Price Related News Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above. Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Back to top Reuters.com Business Markets World Politics Technology Opinion Money Pictures Videos Site Index Legal Bankruptcy Law California Legal New York Legal Securities Law Support & Contact Support Corrections Connect with Reuters Twitter Facebook LinkedIn RSS Podcast Newsletters Mobile About Privacy Policy Terms of Use AdChoices Copyright Our Flagship financial information platform incorporating Reuters Insider An ultra-low latency infrastructure for electronic trading and data distribution A connected approach to governance, risk and compliance Our next generation legal research platform Our global tax workstation Thomsonreuters.com About Thomson Reuters Investor Relations Careers Contact Us Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Friday, 13 July 2012
At least 100 killed in Syrian village: opposition activists |
Libya's Jibril in election landslide over Islamists |
War crimes trial adjourned as Mladic is hospitalized |
U.S. zeroes in on Iran's major oil company, exposes fronts |
Leftist seeks to void Mexico's presidential election, again |
Riot breaks out in Belfast after Protestant march |
Most Greeks think new government cannot solve woes: poll |
U.N. calls for international probe into deadly Kazakh riots |
Analysis: Cisco's loss is Palo Alto Networks' gain |
NTT Docomo: expects to hit smartphones sales target |
Adobe, NBC team up to stream Olympics to mobile devices |
Lam Research sees mostly stable demand for chip gear |
Groupon India drops rogue deals on American Eagle, Abercrombie |
Steven Tyler votes self off American Idol |
Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber highest paid young celebrities |
Kristin Chenoweth released from hospital after set accident |
Moguls at Sun Valley weigh in on Diller's big Aereo win |
Hank Williams, Jr.'s new music takes on Obama |
Ronnie Wood says stay tuned for Rolling Stones gigs |
Canada Supreme Court ends royalties for music downloads |
Over 200 massacred in Syrian government forces attack: activists |
Shots fired at police during Belfast rioting |
Analysis: As Egypt leaders feud, economy heads toward cliff |
SE Asia meeting in disarray over sea dispute with China |
At least 19 dead in South Africa train accident: media |
Thai king suffers health problems: official statement |
Senior Finnish MPs at odds on push for collateral |
Thai court set for divisive constitutional ruling |
U.S. to host meeting of opponents of EU airline law |
Leftist seeks to void Mexico's presidential election, again |
Insight: Despite sanctions, Apple gear booms in Iran |
Yahoo breach puts users of other sites at risk |
FBI probes China's ZTE over Iran tech deals: report |
After years of decline, the popular website Digg is sold |
LG to pay $380 million to settle display panel price-fixing case |
Google CEO Page recovering, was in office this week |
SAP defies tech gloom with strong software sales |
Twilight stars reflect on bittersweet end to the films |
Sigourney Weaver turns political animal for new TV show |
Media execs at Sun Valley weigh in on Diller's Aereo win |
Mladic declared fit for genocide trial to resume |
Venezuela's Chavez back on street, claims miracle recovery |
Officials say major threat to London Olympics yet to materialize |
Russia speeds law on rights groups, snubbing U.S |
UK won't see big windfall from Olympics:
Coal train hits truck in South Africa, 24 dead |
Keep up reforms, Clinton urges Myanmar |
Hamas sees Egypt's Mursi defying Israel, ending blockade |
Spanish workers block roads, rail in cuts protest |
EU set to okay Cisco's $5 billion NDS deal: source |
eBay's hottest business brings benefits, risks |
E2open sees IPO priced at $15-$17 a share |
IGate profit falls short of expectations |
China's ZTE Corp sees first-half profit down 60-80 percent |
Green Mile actor Michael Clarke Duncan hospitalized |
Pink Floyd's Waters tops concert ticket sales in 2012 first half |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01