Best Buy’s mindSHIFT: Managed, Cloud Services Blanket U.S.

mindSHIFT, Best Buy’s managed services business, has maintained its focus and continues to expand across the United States. Generally speaking: I’m impressed. While parent Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) has been navigating strategy changes and executive changes, mindSHIFT CEO Paul Chisholm has kept his organization focused on IT outsourcing, expanded cloud services, new offices and potential acquisitions. Here’s the update.

For 2012, mindSHIFT is opening and/or expanding offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and Phoenix. The company is also on the hunt for more acquisitions, likely in the 2013 time frame. (The most recent acquisition was White Glove Technologies, an MSPmentor 100 company in Texas.)

Windy City Cloud, Managed Services

In the latest move, mindSHIFT says it has “completed its initial phase of [Chicago] staffing with additional expansion planned over the next several months.” Chicago-area customers include American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, Easter Seals, Kelley Drye & Warren, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and Tootsie Roll Industries, the MSP said.

At the same time, Best Buy and mindSHIFT are trying to more clearly communicate synergies between the big box retailer and the MSP. In a prepared statement, Chisholm said:

• mindSHIFT’s customers now receive local support for all of their desktop, server and network monitoring and management needs.
• And those customers can leverage Best Buy’s video conferencing capabilities, digital signage, computer hardware and other products to run their operations.

Best Buy: Beyond PCs

Translation: Best Buy isn’t just a PC supplier. It’s pushing into more sophisticated IT sales, and mindSHIFT is backing those sales with managed services and ongoing support.

While mindSHIFT continues its expansion, parent Best Buy continues to experiment with new strategies to help jump-start growth. The big box retailer is partnering with Verizon for small business help desk services. Best Buy also is testing Solution Central, which somewhat resembles the Apple Genius Bar concept.

Bottom line: Best Buy faces tall challenge. It sounds like mindSHIFT’s own strategy within the broader Best Buy continues to perform well, but it’s difficult to say for sure since Best Buy does not break out mindSHIFT’s financial results.