Avnet Partner Solutions Offers Partners Advanced Storage Capability via EMC Content Addressed Storage; Announces New Agreement to Distribute EMC Centera Solution

Business Wire, Oct 4, 2004

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Avnet Partner Solutions, Americas, a value-added distributor of enterprise servers, storage, software and services, today announced the availability of the EMC Centera(TM) content addressed storage (CAS) solution, which extends the storage offerings of its partners. This new solution enables partners to provide customers with enterprise-class archive solutions to address the fixed-content archiving needs of mid-market organizations, particularly those impacted by compliance regulations such as Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

"Avnet Partner Solutions is focused on driving value by growing its partners' businesses," said Jeff Bawol, senior vice president and general manager of Avnet Partner Solutions Enterprise Software and Storage business unit. "We are particularly excited about the EMC Centera product line because it creates a new set of opportunities for our partners who are focused on adherence to compliance standards. Additionally, Avnet Partner Solutions provides the necessary resources for partners to navigate the compliance regulations and become a trusted advisor for their customers."

EMC Centera is the world's first CAS solution, designed to store and provide fast, easy access to fixed content -- business-critical information that cannot or must not change, such as e-mail archives, voice records and medical images. By utilizing Avnet Partner Solutions' IT DemoCentral service, partners can conduct live demonstrations for their end-user customers to illustrate the capabilities of the Centera solution as a valuable tool in achieving regulatory compliance.

"I now have the ability to build better relationships with my customers by offering the EMC Centera solution," said Gary Alexander, president of Alexander Open Systems. "I can take a proactive role in identifying ways to help my mid-market customers build a more secure archive environment for their fixed-content needs, including adherence to the ever-growing demands of compliance regulations."

"EMC is dedicated to providing advanced storage technology that helps companies comply with stringent data-retention requirements," said Roy Sanford, EMC vice president, Content Addressed Storage. "EMC Centera was built to address the unique information storage requirements of long-lasting, unchanging digital objects. Avnet Partner Solutions can help us bring our advanced technology to even more organizations that are dealing with fast-growing, long-term fixed-content storage and retention issues."

About Avnet Partner Solutions, Americas

Avnet Partner Solutions, Americas is an industry-leading, value-added distributor and provider of enterprise servers, storage, software and services, with operations in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Avnet Partner Solutions provides solutions from industry-leading manufacturers including EMC, HP, IBM, Microsoft, Network Appliance, Oracle, StorageTek and VERITAS -- driving growth for partners and manufacturers. Avnet Partner Solutions is a division of the Avnet Technology Solutions operating group of Avnet Inc. For more information, visit www.aps.avnet.com.

Avnet Inc. (NYSE:AVT) enables success from the center of the technology industry, providing cost-effective services and solutions vital to a broad base of more than 100,000 customers and 250 suppliers. The company markets, distributes and adds value to a wide variety of electronic components, enterprise computer products and embedded subsystems. Through its premier market position, Avnet brings a breadth and depth of capabilities that help its trading partners accelerate growth and realize cost efficiencies. Avnet generated more than $10 billion in revenue in fiscal 2004 (year ended July 3, 2004) through sales in 68 countries. For more information, visit www.avnet.com.

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