Avnet Partner Solutions and IBM Team to Deliver SMB Medical Imaging Solution

Business Wire, Oct 11, 2005

TEMPE, Ariz. -- IBM Express Storage Platform for Medical Imaging Provides Easy-to-Install Solution for Smaller Hospitals and Clinics

Avnet Partner Solutions, Americas, a leading value-added distributor of enterprise computing products, storage, software and services, today announced the immediate availability of IBM(R) Express Storage Platform for Medical Imaging, an offering specifically designed to address the needs of small and medium-sized health care organizations. Using IBM's leading technology, the solution will be configured and customized using Avnet's ISO-certified Integration Center. Avnet's Integration Center recently became one of the first such centers to be authorized as meeting the rigorous demands for international ISO 13485:2003 Certification for Medical Devices.

IBM Express Storage Platform for Medical Imaging, an integrated storage solution, is designed to provide an easy-to-implement and use storage platform for small and medium-sized customers installing medical imaging applications. The solution is pre-tested and can help small hospitals, digital imaging centers and clinics store, retrieve and protect sensitive patient-related medical imaging data. The system's compact design helps ensure fast and easy deployment and supports a number of open standards. The solution is available in four different configurations to meet low, medium and high storage needs at an affordable price.

In addition to providing customization of the solution, Avnet is working with IBM to develop channel expertise to serve this fast-growing market.

"We have several solution providers who are already serving the health care industry, and the IBM Express Storage Platform for Medical Imaging gives them a ready-made solution that they can take to their customers today. However, there are still some customer segments underserved in health care. We will be working with solution providers who want to expand their businesses to cover the health care market, offering them a suite of services to enable them to ramp up very quickly," said Colin Blair, director, IBM Storage and ISV Solutions, Avnet Partner Solutions.

Enablement services for the IBM Express Storage Platform for Medical Imaging from Avnet include:

--Technical pre- and post-sales support;

--Technical certification and sales training;

--Sales tools including presentations, white papers and online demonstration capabilities;

--Demand generation and joint marketing programs;

--Introductory promotional pricing;

--Professional installation services and support.

IBM Express Storage Platform for Medical Imaging integrates IBM technology, including IBM eServer(TM) xSeries(R) or BladeCenter(R) servers, IBM System Storage, Serial ATA (SATA) disk drives and subsystems, Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) technologies, LTO Tape, and Tivoli(R) software as a pre-configured, ready-to-install IP-attachable solution.

"IBM is pleased to acknowledge Avnet's participation in supporting the new IBM Express Storage Platform for Medical Imaging," said Rich Lechner, vice president of marketing for IBM Storage Systems. "We created the IBM Express Platform for Medical Imaging to offer these customers leading technology designed to address their needs today and grow with them tomorrow. By working with Avnet to develop an additional channel for these solutions, we can offer health care customers better control of their information in a simple, pre-packaged design."

One solution provider already sees the additional opportunities this solution offers:

"Our customers in the health care industry are under tremendous pressure to protect patient data while at the same time quickly access information and images when needed. With the IBM Express Storage Platform for Medical Imaging, we can help them meet those demands and grow our business, too," said Steve Giondomenica, vice president of sales at Chouinard & Myhre. "We are extremely pleased to see that Avnet is working to create bundles that address both simplification of the solution, as well as margin enhancement for the business partner."

About Avnet Partner Solutions, Americas

Avnet Partner Solutions, Americas, is part of the Avnet Technology Solutions operating group of Avnet Inc. (NYSE:AVT). An industry-leading, value-added distributor and provider of enterprise servers, storage, software and services, Avnet Partner Solutions serves value-added resellers, independent software vendors (ISVs) and systems integrators in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Avnet Partner Solutions provides enterprise solutions from industry-leading manufacturers, focusing on driving growth for partners and manufacturers. For more information, please visit: www.aps.avnet.com.

Avnet Inc. 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.