Avnet's Web Site Scores Among Highest of 40 Best Corporate Sites by BPCC

Business Wire, Oct 28, 2002

Business Editors, High-Tech Writers

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 28, 2002

Avnet Inc.'s (NYSE:AVT) Web site -- http://www.avnet.com -- has been ranked among the "Best Overall," corporate Web sites in the 2002 BPCC Corporate Web Site Study: 529 Companies Using the Internet to Boost Growth & Reputation.

Having met 34 of the 40 categories in BPCC's content analysis, www.avnet.com ranks among the top 40 of the 529 companies whose Web sites were evaluated. Avnet ranked equally, at 34, with IBM, Wal-Mart, Motorola, General Electric, Chevron Texaco, AOL Time Warner, MetLife, Qwest Communications, Washington Mutual and Williams. Only the Web sites of Procter & Gamble (36), General Motors (35) and the New York Times (35) ranked higher.

BPCC (Best Practices in Corporate Communications) is a Washington, D.C., membership-based business resource for corporate communications. Its Corporate Web Site Study rates company Web sites from the Fortune 500, Fortune 1000 and Fortune Global 1000 for design, usability, branding, media relations, investor relations and customer service. As a third party investigating every site, BPCC has identified the innovation and creativity that defines exemplary performance.

Avnet scored high in all areas of BPCC's best practices criteria. The major categories used in the evaluation were corporate information, media relations, executive communications, financial information, government relations, community relations, human resources/employee relations, diversity, products and services, site features and whether the sites were externally hyperlinked.

The report highlighted avnet.com's "Corporate Profile" that explains the company's values, structure and history, among other things. It also pointed out the "News" area, where press releases are arranged by date and industry; and its "Industry Leadership" section that focuses on industry awards and recognitions. According to the study: "Avnet goes the extra mile by posting detailed information on its Web site and surpasses the standard set by other corporate Web sites. Although the Web site is simple in scope and design, it is very thorough in content."

In identifying the "Best of the Best" corporate Web sites, the BPCC study noted that the sites represent pioneering efforts in online financial information delivery and are paragons of excellence in customer service, online marketing and interactive communications. The report also noted that these company Web sites show leadership in using the Web to push the envelope on growth, profitability and employee performance.

"Our corporate communications team is overjoyed by this recognition," said Al Maag, chief communications officer, Avnet Inc. "We have received positive comments about avnet.com in the past, but to see the results of BPCC's detailed study and to be scored among the best brands in the world is quite an honor. It is a testament to our dot-com steering committee and our Web development and implementation team, led by Bob

Hackett. The Web is an evolving art and we are excited about our future plans for our site."

About Avnet

Phoenix-based Avnet Inc. is one of the world's largest technology marketing and services providers. The company distributes semiconductors, interconnect, passive and electromechanical components, embedded systems and computer products from leading manufacturers. Serving customers in 63 countries, Avnet also delivers services such as inventory management, supply-chain services, bill-of-materials analysis, systems integration and engineering design assistance. A Global Fortune 500 company, Avnet's revenues for fiscal 2002 (year ended June 28, 2002) were $8.9 billion.

About BPCC

A membership-based business resource for corporate communications, Best Practices in Corporate Communications (BPCC) facilitates the development of strategic communications solutions and strong relationships within the corporate world. Members benefit from a wide variety of services, including Web content and interactivity, reports and white papers, monthly conference calls, and insightful one-day sessions. As the premier resource for the changing needs of today's corporate communications leaders, BPCC champions communications as a business imperative in corporate America. Visit BPCC's Web site at http://www.bpincc.com