AT&T Offers Rival to Best Buy's "Geek Squad"; $119 to Set Up Your New PC

August 21, 2008 at 10:43 am PT

Is AT&T (T) ready to take on Best Buy (BBY)? The phone company announced today that it will offer a technical support team providing in-home service for “virtually any home technology or entertainment need.” (Makes one chortle, just a little, to think about the “entertainment needs” AT&T might service in one’s home.) The offering is obviously competition for Best Buy’s Geek Squad technical support operation.

AT&T says it will help consumers configure computers, set up networking, install home theaters and mount TVs. “ConnecTech” as it’s called, will be available in the 50 States. On its Web page, ConnecTech lists prices ranging from $69 for basic troubleshooting of your PC or home network support to $179 for someone to come to your home for the same.

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Tagged with: AT&T, Barrons, Best Buy, ConnecTech, frontpage, Geek Squad, home technology, PC, personal computer, Tech Trader Daily, technical support team, Tiernan Ray, troubleshooting

comments so far. Add yours.

http://bluelight.ruwannaplay? Mark Light

AT&T by a country mile. Although, I’m not sure why they are messing around with the consumer electronics market. Small potatoes. Shades of HP?

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AllthingsDEC :)
http://kawika.blogs.com Kawika Holbrook

I’m all for competition, but AT&T can’t seem to spell the TechConnect name consistently on its own website. Not an auspicious start.
http://kawika.blogs.com Kawika Holbrook

Sorry, make that Connectech or ConnecTech. Either way, I can see why AT&T would want another entry into your home — even as a loss leader. One day, perhaps, all the home theater and home networking guts will be included inside your TV — kind of like an iMac. Why try to buy it all when AT&T will rent you the whole setup and install it for you? Tack on $50 a month and AT&T will pay off the sets in a year — and control your media experience.

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