Verizon's 'Business Link Rewards' Program Launches Online Mall

Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Can Earn Unlimited Bonus Credits With the Verizon Business Links Rewards Online Mall; Shopping Destination Has More Than 350 Retailers Offering Discounts

Verizon's small- and medium-sized business customers participating in the Business Link Rewards program are now eligible for discounts and special promotions every time they shop at the Verizon Business Links Online Mall. Customers will also earn additional Business Link Rewards Bonus Credits for every dollar they spend at the Mall, and they can redeem the credits for a variety of rewards in the program.

The new Business Link Rewards Online Mall is powered by Mall Networks, a leading provider of merchant-funded loyalty shopping programs. Small- and medium-sized business customers who use the Online Mall can get discounts from more than 350 retailers, including Best Buy, Dell Computers, Office Depot, Expedia, eBay and Target.

"We continually look at new ways to add value for our business customers," said Michael McLaughlin, director of mass business marketing for Verizon. "The Business Link Rewards program has been highly appealing to our customers during the past 12 years, and we are constantly creating enhancements to keep it fresh and valued by our members. Adding the Business Links Rewards Online Mall gives our customers a significant way to accelerate their reward-earning opportunities through everyday shopping for their home or business. Plus, they receive savings and other offers from these major merchants."

Best Buy launches new VoIP services for businesses

by Brian White

Telecom companies are in trouble these days as more and more customer dump landlines for cellphones and use Voice-over-IP (VoIP) products instead of those expensive home telephone services. Did you ever think retailers would be competing with telecom companies for customers?

Best Buy, Inc.'s (NYSE: BBY) Best Buy for Business subsidiary has you covered on that topic, as the division of the nation's largest consumer electronics company is introducing its "EasyVoice" VoIP service for businesses. Best Buy's new service offering is being marketed on a "cost per employee" basis, starting at $19.95 per employee. This appears to be the largest-yet launch of a service that was born out of the Speakeasy purchase earlier in the year.

Will Best Buy be able to service companies at the required quality of service level that businesses demand? If telecom issues erupt with consumers, the world generally doesn't stop spinning. But, with companies, telecom problems cause revenue flow interruptions and customer service nightmares. As Best Buy begins to compete with established telecommunications companies with its new telephone service, it needs to keep that high in its mind. That, or customers will turn tail to companies like AT&T, Inc. (NYSE: T) just as fast as they went to Best Buy for phone service.

Best Buy Buys Speakeasy

Electronics retail giant Best Buy is to acquire the broadband provider SpeakEasy for $97 million, it has been announced.

SpeakEasy employs 300 people and last year boasted over 40,000 customers and revenue of $80 million. The company will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Best Buy in 2008.

Darren Jackson, Best Buy executive vice president and chief financial officer, said: "By joining forces with Speakeasy, a company with a true passion for helping entrepreneurs run their businesses, we are making technology more accessible to small businesses by creating a single source for their IT needs." According to Best Buy, SpeakEasy's executive team will remain in place, with Bruce Chatterley as CEO.

Mr. Chatterley said: "We're a vibrant successful smaller business that's growing at a pretty good clip." Speakeasy first opened in 1994 as a Seattle Internet cafe and grew to become a broadband provider, which also offers VoIP services, mainly directed at small businesses.
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Currently Best Buy is America's largest retailer of electronic items. "This is a really interesting combination of companies," states Mark Weibel, EVP of Marketing for Broadband National Inc. who operates the Internets leading comparative shopping website for digital products and services. "Speakeasy's technical expertise matched with Best Buys marketing prowess could make for a very formidable combination."

For more information on digital products and services visit www.dsldance.com