"We strongly believe in the notion of a Connected World, one in which people are able to access their information, entertainment, services and human networks - whenever and wherever they want." - Brian Dunn

Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn took the stage this week at the global epicenter for mobile technology - Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain - in a keynote alongside John Donahoe, President & CEO, eBay and Michael Roth, Chairman & CEO, IPG, calling on the industry to work together to deliver on the promise that connected technologies offer.

Key highlights included:

Making the Connected World Accessible to Consumers. Connectivity is becoming an integral part of the lives of millions of people, providing access to an incredible amount of information at our fingertips, and bringing the world closer together.

  • Challenges to today's Connected World include:
    • Significant up-charge for a device that connects to the mobile internet
    • Plans that are expensive and hard to understand
    • Too many "locked" devices (devices that are "locked" to a given carrier), causing Best Buy to carry more SKUs and ultimately complicating the supply chain

Best Buy's Role in the Connected World.  The acceleration in the number and type of connected devices - smartphones, tablets, and ultrabooks - is prolific.

  • Best Buy believes all of these devices should be connected - and we intend to have a hand in helping men and women around the globe bring their individual Connected Worlds to life, which is why recently formed a Connectivity Business Group.
    • Today, we connect 25 million devices worldwide. We expect our "Global Connect" strategy to help us double that figure within the next five years, making us the largest 'enabler' of connected mobile devices in the world.
  • Best Buy continues to grow with the Connected World, staying competitive by providing remarkable service in stores and remain competitively priced to compete with online players.
    • STAT: Of mobile phone purchases made on BestBuy.com, 77 percent of those orders are picked up in a store the same day, and 63% of those within 12 hours.
    • STAT: This year BestBuy.com has had one billion visits. Dot com orders and units are up 33%.


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