Avnet Electronics Marketing and Seoul Semiconductor Sign Distribution Agreement

Business Wire, Dec 21, 2006

PHOENIX -- Global LED leader Seoul Semiconductor has selected Avnet Electronics Marketing to distribute its entire line of LED and solid state illumination products in the Americas. The partnership makes energy-efficient lighting solutions and other LED applications more readily available to North American manufacturers through LightSpeed, Avnet's new illumination-focused business unit.

Seoul Semiconductor recently introduced a number of highly innovative LED technologies, such as the brightest single-die white LED available and the world's only LED that can be driven directly from household AC mains current, called Acriche. Both will be available from Avnet Electronics Marketing.

Spokespeople from Seoul and Avnet envision LED breakthroughs such as these will serve as the lighting source of choice for automotive designers, commercial/residential lighting and tactical flashlight manufacturers, architects, traffic signaling and signage applications for years to come.

"Approximately 20 percent of the electricity generated in the world is now consumed by lighting, through the use of inefficient bulbs or fluorescent tubes with their high attendant maintenance costs," said Cary Eskow, director of Avnet LightSpeed. "Advanced LED technology from Seoul will revolutionize many segments of the lighting industry, because high brightness LEDs generate light using just a fraction of the energy. For example, at 100 lumens per Watt, Seoul's new P4 LED outpaces fluorescents and is five to six times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs."

Unlike other distributors, Avnet's LightSpeed unit works with customers through a national team of dedicated illumination-focused engineers called "Illumineers." Illumineers have experience in thermal, drive stage and optics design. When combined with Seoul's nearly 1,000 patents and strong emphasis on LED research and development over its twenty-year history, Eskow says he considers the combination a differentiator for Avnet's customers.

"Using advanced LED technology and taking a requirements-driven solution approach, LightSpeed develops complete solid state lighting systems designed to accelerate the performance, cost and reliability benefits of LED light sources," said Eskow.

Seoul's CEO says Avnet's approach to the illumination market is one reason for the partnership.

"We selected Avnet as our strategic partner in this venture for several important reasons," said Mr. C. H. Lee, CEO of Seoul Semiconductor. "First is their broad reach into many emerging illumination sectors; second is the LightSpeed team's unique technical knowledge of LEDs and the associated optical, thermal, and analog solutions; and of course, Avnet's extensive offering of related semiconductors and supply chain services."

For more information about new LED technologies and solid state illumination solutions, contact Avnet LightSpeed at LightSpeed@Avnet.com

About Avnet Electronics Marketing

Avnet Electronics Marketing is an operating group of Phoenix-based Avnet, Inc. (NYSE:AVT), a Fortune 500 company. Avnet Electronics Marketing serves electronic original equipment manufacturers (EOEMs) and electronic manufacturing services (EMS) providers in 70 countries, distributing electronic components from leading manufacturers and providing associated design-chain and supply-chain services. The group's Web site is located at http://www.em.avnet.com.

About Avnet

Avnet, Inc. (NYSE:AVT) is one of the largest distributors of electronic components, computer products and technology services and solutions with more than 250 locations serving 70 countries worldwide. The company markets, distributes and optimizes the supply-chain and provides design-chain services for the products of the world's leading electronic component suppliers, enterprise computer manufacturers and embedded subsystem providers. Avnet brings a breadth and depth of capabilities, such as maximizing inventory efficiency, managing logistics, assembling products and providing engineering design assistance for its 100,000 customers, accelerating their growth through cost-effective, value-added services and solutions. For the fiscal year ended July 1, 2006, Avnet generated revenue of $14.25 billion. For more information, visit www.avnet.com.

About Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd

Seoul Semiconductor (SSC) is a world-leading LED lighting solution provider, and recently named to Forbes' and BusinessWeek's lists as one of the best Asian companies. According to a recent report by Strategies Unlimited, SSC is the number one Korean LED supplier and is one of the top 10 companies in the world for high brightness LEDs. SSC is expected to become one of the world's top three LED providers by 2010 and is projected to reach 1.3 billion dollars in sales. SSC currently has 873 employees, 132 of which are dedicated to research and development.