Business Services Industry

Avnet RF & Microwave's New Business Unit, Wavelength Design Solutions, Signs Agreement With Neesus Datacom to Deliver WLAN Solutions

Business Wire, Nov 13, 2002

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 13, 2002

Avnet RF & Microwave's new business unit, Wavelength Design Solutions, has signed an agreement with Neesus Datacom Inc. to provide WLAN software development services to Wavelength Design Solutions customers who are incorporating wireless technology into their end products.

Neesus Datacom is a dynamic and growing company that is focused primarily on WLAN software for license to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), as well as driver/firmware customization services for WLAN products. Neesus has been a key player in many of today's 802.11 products; and through its relationship with Intersil Corporation has become an expert in PRISM II-, II.5- and III-based radios. Neesus also provides OEMs a unique resource for development and customization of WLAN products.

Additionally, Neesus Datacom has developed proprietary 802.11 Access Point Software that interfaces with WLAN modules using Intersil's PRISM MAC. This software has been developed with ease of portability as a primary goal and has already been ported to three different operating systems. Neesus has software modules that are available for license to form a complete 802.11 AP, Bridge or Gateway. Neesus also provides modules that implement just the core AP functionality for customers that do not need the higher level management and control modules.

Anil Sanwalka, president of Neesus remarked, "Joining Wavelength Design Solutions is a natural fit for us, because Neesus develops WLAN solutions around the Intersil chip sets, which are represented on the Avnet RF & Microwave line card. Avnet RF & Microwave has an extensive and knowledgeable sales force, which will help us reach more customers. In return, we offer those customers real savings in terms of development time and cost of production because of our in-depth understanding of the WLAN applications and development expertise with various WLAN components embedded into OEM products."

"Neesus is a logical choice for WDS as our WLAN technology partner," said Joel Levine, president of Avnet RF & Microwave. "Neesus' proprietary Access Point Software Reference Designs, combined with its extensive experience in WiFi software application development, will be a tremendous benefit to Wavelength Design Solutions customers who are integrating WLAN technologies into their end products and applications."

From product definition and design, to supply chain management, Wavelength Design Solutions provides customers with a total solution for integrating wireless technology into their end products. For additional information about WDS, please visit its Web site at www.avnetRF.com/wds, or call 866/avnetRF (286-3873).

About Avnet RF & Microwave

Avnet RF & Microwave is a specialized business unit of Avnet Electronics Marketing and is currently the distribution market leader in the sale of components to the wireless electronics industry. Avnet RF & Microwave offers a technical selling organization, value-added services including parametric testing, hybrid assembly and design, cable assembly, evaluation boards, die handling, thin film assembly services, hi-rel processing and wireless design services through Avnet Design Services' Bluetooth lab. The Avnet RF & Microwave web site is located at www.avnetRF.com

Avnet Electronics Marketing is the largest operating group of Phoenix-based Avnet, Inc. (NYSE:AVT), a Fortune Global 500 company and one of the world's largest technology marketing and services companies, with fiscal year 2002 sales of $8.9 billion (year ended June 30, 2002). Avnet Electronics Marketing distributes semiconductors, interconnect, passive and electromechanical components from leading manufacturers. The company markets, inventories and adds value to these products and provides world-class supply-chain management and engineering design services. Avnet EM serves customers in 63 countries. The company's Web site is located at www.avnet.com/.>