Avnet Partner Solutions BladeCentral Program Aligns Channel Resources with Growing IBM Blade Server Market; New Program Provides Sales, Marketing, Training, Leasing, and Logistics Resources for IBM Channel Partners

Business Wire, June 21, 2005

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Expanding on its successful IBM BladeCenter(TM) FootPrint "seed" program for blade server chassis, Avnet Partner Solutions, Americas, the leading value-added distributor of IBM enterprise computing products, storage, software and services, today announced the launch of its BladeCentral for IBM program. BladeCentral is designed to help partners rapidly increase sales of IBM BladeCenter solutions through dedicated sales and marketing resources, technical and sales training, and leasing services. BladeCentral also helps partners respond quickly to their customers' needs by providing same or next-day shipments for select high-volume systems and parts, and bundled solutions configured for a variety of business and technical requirements.

"Blade technology is one of the fastest growing market segments, offering end users a consolidation solution that can reduce costs and enhance efficiencies," said Jack Morris, vice president, IBM Software and xSeries, Avnet Partner Solutions. "BladeCentral from Avnet Partner Solutions outlines the path for partners to move into blade opportunities rapidly. The program drives partner growth through an integrated set of services starting with technical training all the way through to expedited solution delivery."

The main components to Avnet Partner Solutions' BladeCentral program are:

--Dedicated sales and marketing resources.

--Technical and sales training, including technical workshops, IBM's Server Consolidation Data Collection and Analysis Tool workshops and Webinars.

--Demand generation through newsletter content, Webinars and marketing campaigns.

--On-demand leasing offering low-rate financing for attractive upfront cost savings.

--Quick ship services available for selected non-integrated parts and high-volume IBM BladeCenter systems.

--BladeCenter Solutions application-ready for specific market segments.

"Avnet Partner Solutions' BladeCentral program reduces the barriers to entering the blade server market by combing all of the channel resources my team needs to be successful into one comprehensive initiative," said Jim Carrick, CEO, Strategic Computer Solutions Inc., an IBM Premier Business Partner headquartered in Syracuse, N.Y. "At Strategic Computer Solutions, we are seeing increased demand from our customers creating an excellent opportunity to sell IBM blade server solutions. We've worked with the Avnet Partner Solutions team to deliver the best possible solutions that not only meet our customers' technical requirements, but also fit their budgets while allowing for future capacity expansion."

The new BladeCentral program will enable partners to develop data consolidation, clustering and virtualization; provisioning; application and workload; and Linux solutions for blade servers. In addition, Avnet Partner Solutions' BladeCentral Appliance program offers specific bundled solutions that are configured for a variety of business and technical requirements, such as IBM Business Express, Microsoft Business in a Box, and Security in a Box. These bundled solutions, in combination with the business and technical resources available through BladeCentral, will reduce the time and upfront investment normally required of channel partners to enter a complex new technology market and successfully provide best-in-class solutions for their customers.

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 Computer Associates, 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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