BusinessWire
June 07, 2006 07:55 AM US Pacific Timezone

Avnet Memec Merger Earns Kudos from Customer

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 7, 2006--Avnet Memec, a division of Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas, has successfully combined the technical know-how and engineering design expertise of two global companies to create a technical design team that enables quicker time to market with solution-based designs for customers across the electronics industry.

Avnet Inc. (NYSE:AVT), the world's largest distributor of technology products, acquired Memec in July 2005 and fully integrated the Americas-based portion of the acquisition into its Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas operating group in two months. Avnet and Memec had both previously developed strong relationships with customers like Eastern Research through their respective account managers and specialist field application engineers (FAEs) who have continuously offered a competitive edge when it comes to design-win solutions and enabling companies to reduce their design time.

Post-merger, Avnet Memec has combined its solutions-based engineering teams to help Eastern Research and other customers reduce their time to market by offering alternative solutions to accomplish tasks that would otherwise take months to complete. For example, by substituting an existing programming solution in place of a single Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), which required up to 10 months for programming for Eastern's OX8000 Optical eXchange, Avnet Memec was able to research and deliver products that enabled Eastern to get to market months faster with its critical transmission infrastructure elements for networks.

"The merger decision and keeping the Memec model has really given Avnet the competitive edge when it comes to design-win expertise,"said Joan Gianiotis, vice president of operations for Eastern Research. "Avnet Memec has offered Eastern big design-win solutions with telecom-centric, solution-based engineering. This is a win-win for both Eastern Research and Avnet Memec."

"Memec built a unique distribution business focused on providing proactive engineering support. Merging Memec's resources with Avnet Electronics Marketing's capabilities creates a winning combination of overall offering to the electronics market,"added Phil Sansone, senior vice president of Avnet Memec, Americas. "Combined, Avnet Memec's customers benefit from expanded technical expertise, backed up by global supply-chain capabilities and resources. We are pleased that the merger has proven to be a success -- particularly where Eastern Research is concerned. We look forward to continued success for both Avnet Memec and Eastern Research."

About Eastern Research Inc.

Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Moorestown, N.J., Eastern Research Inc. has a strong commitment to quality design, manufacturing, marketing and support of telecom access/transport network equipment, globally. Eastern designs, manufactures, markets and supports the DNX (Digital Network Exchange), OX (Optical eXchange), and BSG-1u (Base Station Access Gateway) families of Multiservice Cross-Connects and Access Gateways, ENvision Plus network management software, and related products. Simply stated, Eastern's hardware and software solutions help carriers optimize network infrastructure and deploy new services while improving performance and reliability.

Eastern's customer base includes fixed line and mobile wireless carriers, utilities, federal government and the military. The company closed 2005 with more than $60 million in revenue. Visit its Web site at www.erinc.com/.

About Avnet Electronics Marketing

Avnet Electronics Marketing is the largest operating group of Phoenix-based Avnet Inc., a Fortune 500 company. Avnet Electronics Marketing serves electronic original equipment manufacturers (EOEMs) and electronic manufacturing services (EMS) providers in 68 countries, distributing electronic components from leading manufacturers and providing associated design-chain and supply-chain services. The group's Web site is located at http://www.em.avnet.com/.