Geeks dig Microsoft

In this industry, it’s nice to have the geeks in your corner. And over at Best Buy, the Geeks with a capital “G” are going Microsoft. The big company has announced that Best Buy Co. Inc. will be employing multiple Microsoft technologies for its field technicians and consultants.

The Best Buy Geek Squad service team is a group of over 11,000 specially trained agents (kind of sounds like the CIA, eh?) who make home- and business-visits to solve computer problems. Some 3,000 Windows Mobile-powered Smartphones are now employed by the team. The pseudo-spinoff Best Buy For Business — a growing unit of over 1,000 consultants who sell, implement and support solutions for small-business customers — is now using Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0.

Best Buy cited Windows Mobile’s easy collaboration with its current installation of Microsoft server technology, its native support for mobile messaging through Exchange Server 2003, and its ability to take advantage of emerging Exchange Server capabilities for direct push technology, security and management as reasons for going with good ol’ Gates and co.

Best Buy also recently added Microsoft Dynamics CRM to its own IT services and solutions offerings for Best Buy For Business customers. Best Buy also offers Microsoft Dynamics Point of Sale, a single-store application that seek to assist small retailers in tracking and managing sales, inventory and customer information.