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

[bratling.livejournal.com]

Speakeasy says the deal is for Speakeasy to continue to operate as an independent business unit, with Best Buy keeping its hands off.

note that's for the "near term". next year, all bets are off, i'd say.

i'm nervous but i'll see how it goes. i really don't want to go ISP shopping again. if i have to, i may just go to Comcast Business cable.