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Avnet Technology Solutions Offers FlexPod™ Suite of Integration Services in EMEA through NetApp and Cisco Joint Initiative

Avnet Technology Solutions, an operating group of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), today announced a joint initiative with Cisco and NetApp to provide reseller partners in EMEA with a suite of integration services based on FlexPod™ and ExpressPod™ design architecture. Following successful roll out and customer feedback in the US, Avnet will now provide these services in EMEA, reducing time-to-market significantly for its channel partners in major countries of the region.

“This joint initiative means we can now offer unparalleled integration services for Cisco and NetApp technologies to build fully integrated FlexPod™ and ExpressPod™ architectures. These architectures are designed to transform datacentres toward a shared infrastructure, either within a customer’s own facility or as part of a cloud platform. Our services will help remove the complexity associated with integration and enable our partners to simplify and accelerate their FlexPod™ and ExpressPod™ sales opportunities,” commented Anthony Greenhalgh, director of supplier acceleration EMEA at Avnet Technology Solutions.

FlexPod™ and ExpressPod™ are pre-validated datacentre design architectures optimised for virtualization and cloud computing platforms. They include industry leading computing, storage and networking components from NetApp and Cisco. The FlexPod™ programme is designed to help channel partners deliver FlexPod™ and ExpressPod™ solutions faster, easier and more cost efficiently. This suite of services includes: pre-sales support, consolidated quoting, single order capability, assembly and testing, ship completion and tracking. Partners will also be able to draw upon additional support and expertise from Avnet's dedicated Cisco, NetApp and VMware teams. This unique position of partnership with all three market players in EMEA makes Avnet a premier partner for accelerating customer growth.

Thomas Ehrlich, vice president, partners and pathways, EMEA, at NetApp, said, “The market potential of the FlexPod™ and ExpressPod™ solutions is immense. The architecture’s flexibility pays off for reselling partners and customers alike, whether it’s configuration, applications or infinite scalability by using NetApp clustered ONTAP for agile data infrastructures based on FlexPod™. We are delighted Avnet Technology Solutions is building on its FlexPod™ programme success in the US, bringing value and expertise to its EMEA channels.”

Ed Baker, EMEA director, data centre and virtualization channel at Cisco, said, “Customer feedback about FlexPod™ has been exceptional due to its flexible infrastructure that provides them with the foundation for moving applications and workloads to the private cloud. For resellers, it’s not only an innovative hardware platform, it’s a great way to position new services and increase customer relevance. Working with Avnet will accelerate the datacentre market and give more resellers the ability to confidently position this disruptive solution to their customers.”

“Avnet understands our business model, our company objectives and how we want to achieve them. The company plays a key role as a valuable partner, enabling us to develop and grow our business. We work closely with Avnet, and this relationship generates tangible benefits for both parties. We look forward to working with Avnet’s new FlexPod™ capability, which will strengthen our relationship in the months and years to come. In short, Avnet makes doing business easy!” added Paul Sweeney, managing director at ANS Group, an Avnet customer.

Avnet's integration services augment partners' existing resources, allowing them to focus on their core business strategies while relying on Avnet's world-class supply chain services to complete the sales process. Avnet’s FlexPod™ services will be offered in all EMEA countries where Avnet holds both Cisco and NetApp distribution rights, including Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, UK and Ireland. Avnet will integrate these solutions using its integration and logistics centre in Strasbourg.

About Avnet Technology Solutions
As a global IT solutions distributor, Avnet Technology Solutions collaborates with its customers and suppliers to create and deliver services, software and hardware solutions that address the business needs of their end-user customers locally and around the world. The group serves customers and suppliers in the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe, Middle East and Africa. It generated US $10.8 billion in annual revenue for fiscal year 2012. Avnet Technology Solutions is an operating group of Avnet, Inc. For more information, visit www.avnet.com.  

About Avnet
Avnet, Inc. (NYSE:AVT), a Fortune 500 Company, is one of the largest distributors of electronic components, computer products and embedded technology serving customers globally. Avnet accelerates its partners' success by connecting the world's leading technology suppliers with a broad base of customers by providing cost-effective, value-added services and solutions. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012, Avnet generated revenue of $25.7 billion. For more information, visit www.avnet.com.

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