Commentary
Best Buy Lends Google A Hand In Mobile
- by Mark Walsh @markfwal, November 6, 2009
Google has a new mobile partner -- Best Buy. Under a new initiative, associates at the electronics retail giant will install the online giant's free Google Mobile App on all compatible smartphones, including BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and S60 devices.
The deal is an outgrowth of Best Buy Mobile's Walk Out Working program providing free in-store smartphone setup. Google will also launch a new Web site Nov. 9 to promote the Best Buy partnership and offer mapped directions to the nearest Best Buy.
Anyone can download Google Mobile App from m.google.com but they may have difficulty depending on what type of phone or data plan they have. The app itself features the ability to search without having to navigate the Internet, voice-activated search and MyLocation local business search.
The teaming of the two titans can't be welcome news for Google's competitors in mobile search, like Yahoo and Microsoft. The company already has a share of mobile search roughly comparable to the 65% it has on the desktop Web. And it can already distribute apps via its mobile site and Android Market.
But adding the offline hand-holding service from Best Buy to make sure users actually install Google Mobile App successfully will only add another advantage. What's more, Best Buy is in the midst of building out 40 more mobile specialty stores nationwide by mid-2010.
Mark Walsh can be reached at walsh@mediapost.com
This is certainly a well played move by Best Buy and Google, but it is the way of the future for companies that are going to play in the mobile arena. The early adopter period is over for smart phones, now in order to get the mobile "wanting" next stage of the population they are going to want so tech steering, not DIY exploration and reading of gadget blogs.