Oh, BUGGER.

[unixronin]

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Best Buy Co. Inc. (BBY.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Tuesday it would buy Speakeasy Inc., an independent broadband voice, data and IT services provider, for about $97 million to strengthen its small business technology portfolio.

Best Buy, the top U.S. consumer electronics retail chain, expects to close the acquisition in the first quarter of fiscal 2008 and said the deal should not affect fiscal 2008 earnings.

This can't be good.  Speakeasy says the deal is for Speakeasy to continue to operate as an independent business unit, with Best Buy keeping its hands off.  I believe that's what Speakeasy was TOLD.  I don't for one minute believe it'll stay that way for more than a year or two.  The pointy-hairs just won't be able to resist fucking around with it.

Comments

[ariyanakylstram.livejournal.com]

agreed, as another speakeasy user.

but I'm going to say the same thing I have said about being part of a company that is being acquired by Cisco...

"as long as my personal experience doesn't change significantly, and it still feels like I am working for/with $smaller_company, I'll be around"

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I'll stick around and hope they don't fuck it up, because they're the best DSL provider and general clueful ISP I know. But if Best Buy screws the pooch, I'll start shopping around.

[cymrullewes.livejournal.com]

DJ did mention his ISP already...