Selected ISP Support > Speakeasy > Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!?

Best Buy acquires Speakeasy??!?

Today is an historic and exciting day for Speakeasy.

I am pleased to announce that Speakeasy has been acquired by Best Buy, an innovative and growing Fortune 100 company and top consumer electronics retailer in North America. This is a significant milestone for our company as our new relationship will help us realize our goals of becoming the No. 1 provider of voice and data solutions to small businesses. It is important to note that though Speakeasy will now be a wholly owned subsidiary of Best Buy, we will continue to operate as a standalone, independent operating division with headquarters in Seattle.

Speakeasy will be an important part of the Best Buy For Business service that delivers simple, reliable, and affordable technology solutions to small businesses. Speakeasy?s array of broadband voice, data and managed services offerings will be the focal point of the Best Buy For Business communications solutions.

This agreement is a major step forward for our company. While our business remains strong, our relationship with Best Buy provides us with additional resources and brand recognition, and opens new opportunities to dramatically accelerate our growth.

Best Buy, like Speakeasy, is known for its high level of customer service. Our reputation as a trusted provider of voice and data services with stellar customer service will not change. Our values are similar too -- Best Buy shares our customer passion, respect for individuals, and drive to do the right thing while achieving results.

You will continue to work with your partner sales managers and the excellent service and support you expect will continue uninterrupted.

Best Regards,
Bruce Chatterley
President & CEO, Speakeasy, Inc.

I just got that email too. (funny, seeing as I've not been a SpeakEasy customer since November, 2006)

reply to lorennerol
There goes the neighborhood....

reply to lorennerol
Well, I was feeling a bit bad about switching from Speakeasy to AT&T a few months back when I made the move, but now I don't really feel bad about it all. As much as I hate big telco, I've had more bad experiences with Best Buy than AT&T.

Oh well. It was nice while it lasted.

reply to lorennerol
I just got the e-mail, too.

No wonder the rep was so incredibly accommodating the other day when I called regarding my connection's price-for-performance ratio. I was considering switching, but I'm far better off now.

We'll see what happens.

Would you like the extended warranty with your DSL connection?
--
Soy el dentista!

reply to lorennerol
Pity. I have good memories of Speakeasy. They were a good company.

reply to lorennerol
I've been with speakeasy for almost 5 years and through 3 moves.

They've always been great with customer/technical support, and I've been very happy with the service.

As much as I hate ATT, I have greater issues with best buy, and so it comes down to the lesser of two evils.

See ya, Speakeasy.

reply to lorennerol
Well, it keeps things interesting...
I just got VZ FIOS TV but stuck with my SE 'net connection. The FIOS 'net option is sure tempting at a lower price and higher speeds, but the 'geek-friendly' aspect of SE kept me there (largest being static IPs for my web services, which at VZ will cost the same as my SE connection).
But now I've pretty much lost any motivation to stay with SE. Maybe will see how the transition goes but one hiccup and I'm gone.
I'll give BestBuy the benefit of the doubt for now but they don't have much room for disappointment.
KM
--
Don't Lie - Be Kind - Realize your Potential

reply to lorennerol
So does this mean BBR will now have a Best Buy forum?

My first words when i saw this was "OMFG!"

Is SE really in that much of financial trouble?

We have all seen how we've been pretty much abandoned on the forums, and now this.

I just hope they don't start changing their policies now and have SE converted in to just another ISP.
It was these open port/servers policies that have kept me with them and I for sure will drop them in a heartbeat if they change that.

I've been a SE customer for 7 years and was recommending them due to their great customer suport, but this has changed my mind.

reply to lorennerol
I guess we now know why we have been dealing with a "different" company lately. There has been zero responses from SE on this forum within the last year or so. Also, their focus definitely has been more on business and they seem to have forgotten us residential users who need more than just an internet connection. Well it looks like according to the letter from CEO, Best Buy wants SE for the business side of things. I foresee residential service slowly dwindling away.

As soon as my contract is up, I think I will be looking for a new service provider. I too have been a customer for 4 years, referred them to others, and moved 3 times. But I dislike Best Buy so much, it is going to make me change providers. Their business and HR practices leave a lot to be desired.

Just needed to add my two cents to this surprise announcement.

reply to lorennerol
I had to give up Speakeasy's DSL service when I moved (no dsl where I now live).

Of all the ISPs out there, I say Speakeasy is the best. Their ToS is the most friendly - do what you want so long as it is not illegal or you bring down our network. At least that is how it was when I had dsl service. Want to run an ftp or http server? Ok. Want to run a game server? Ok. Want your own email server? Ok.

Most other ISPs' rules allow you to surf the web and use email. Everything else is forbidden in the small print. they definitely take the "service" out of Internet Service Provider.

speakeasy is being bought by Best Buy for Business, not the consumer store. Maybe there is enough difference that Speakeasy will be left alone. I can dream.

reply to mjordan
I had just about the same reaction--"OMFG!" Geek-friendliness has kept me there for five years despite the premium. Once they dropped all their gamer packages, I knew something was up.

Same here--one hiccup, and I'm gone.

I wonder if I can sell my unused bandwidth for store credit?

I hope their tech support turn-around doesn't suffer. Then again, at least it shouldn't be hard to beat the 3 month turn-around time it took Best Buy to fix my TV under the uber warranty I bought with it.
--
Soy el dentista!

reply to lorennerol
Sh!t has really hit the fan.... I'm just waiting for FiOS.

reply to lorennerol
I've been with speakeasy for over 6 years now and have always been pleased with them. Over the last 2 years, I have noticed a decline in their willingness to invest in their retail infrastructure and I understood it as a business decision as they built out their VoIP and focused on building their commercial business.

I understand that usually such a focus results in a better overall infrastructure and will, by trickle down, improve their retail business as well.

As time went by and I still saw little to no commitment to their retail customers, I began feeling the itch to move away to a different ISP.. and today's news is just confirming my desire to switch. As much as I hate AT&T/SBC, I may be moving my way in that direction.. I would love to have FIOS but I live in SBC Country and don't see FIOS (or even U-Verse anytime soon as a viable option). Anyone know of a good provider around Chicago?

reply to lorennerol
Dammit... Now I guess I really gotta start at least semi-seriously looking at other providers' business/SOHO offerings.

Oh well, at least if I switch, my options include faster speeds for the same price points.

reply to lorennerol
Ugh. That groaning sound you here is the collective displeasure of current SpE customers, including this one.

Best Buy. I mean really...Best Buy? I don't profess to know the inner workings of corporate mergers and acquisitions, but I can tell you that, in my experience, every time that a company of which I'm currently a customer gets bought out by a larger company, customer service suffers to varying degrees. And customer service was the primary reason I stuck with Speakeasy all this time.

I shudder to think what the future holds. Sorry you had to go that way SpE.
--
I cannot stand demagoguery. If you disagree with my stance, you're a blithering twit. You're not a twit, are you?

I stick with Speakeasy mostly because I have static IPs and I don't NEED customer service, because they're very reliable (unlike another provider I could name, whose name is a portmanteau of "communication" and "broadcast")

What does Best Buy know about DSL?

Looks like it may be time to seriously consider FIOS.

reply to tapeloop

reply to lorennerol
let' look at the positive side of things.... errr...
um...
let's see...
OH YEA!!!
At least the forum is now getting more posts and attention than before.

I remember the days they would send you swag for being a loyal customer, sure, it was cheap stuff, but it was nice to feel appreciated. I got fridge magnets, pens, screen cleaning towels, a shirt and a coffee mug!

I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens, it might not be as bad as we think.

reply to lorennerol
What a disappointment. All around.