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Avnet Technology Solutions offers a Fast-Track for new Oracle partners

• Oracle can now be sold by resellers who don't have an Oracle contract
• No barrier to entry to start an Oracle reselling business
• Incremental revenue opportunity for resellers

Avnet Technology Solutions, EMEA announced today a new programme via Horizon Software which will enable resellers, who are not authorised or accredited, to sell Oracle entry level technology licences without the need for a formal agreement.

Fast-Track presents resellers with a unique opportunity to extend the Oracle portfolio to their customers without having to make up-front investments to start their Oracle practice. Horizon hopes that the new resellers attracted to the programme will eventually graduate to become full Oracle partners with their help.

Mickey Bharat, Horizon Software Division Director commented: "Our Fast-Track programme will help resellers new to Oracle to take the first simple steps in building an Oracle practice. We will help them to transact their first orders for entry level product and will encourage them to work towards building a fully accredited Oracle practice once they have seen the benefits that the world's largest enterprise software company can bring to their business".

The entry level technology product range is made available through Horizon's Fast-Track programme, which includes Oracle® Database and Oracle® Fusion Middleware, in particular Oracle® Application Server, in both "Standard Edition" and "Standard Edition One" versions, Oracle® Business Intelligence Standard Edition One and Oracle® Weblogic Server Standard Edition.  Products can be ordered using simple Web based facilities or via traditional methods through Horizon Software's knowledgeable team.

Horizon Software is Oracle's sole Value Added Distributor in the UK, supporting all of Oracle's key technology areas including Oracle Database, Oracle Database Security & Identity Management, Oracle Business Intelligence, Oracle SOA Suite and Oracle Fusion Middleware. Horizon provides a wide range of value-add support services to its Oracle partner community focussing on the development and support of System Integrators; Value Added Resellers and Independent Software Vendors.

Bharat: "We are continuing to invest in our UK Oracle business. We already have a very large team supporting Oracle's channel partners, but see the opportunity to further extend our reach deeper into the reseller community by enabling resellers without an existing Oracle relationship to leverage the credibility which Oracle technology affords to extend their solution portfolio.

"Not only do we plan to enlarge the Oracle community, but we are also planning further programmes to help resellers new to Oracle to build a growing and sustainable Oracle practice by providing support in areas such as business planning, training & demand creation. Our ultimate aim is to assist resellers with the attainment of full accreditation and thus qualification for membership of the Oracle Partner Network (OPN). Further announcement in this area will be made over the coming weeks."

David Tweddle, Director General Business, Oracle UK & Ireland, commented: "I have been very impressed with the plans Horizon has made to assist us in making Oracle technology available to a wider reseller community. All transactions by our General Business team are driven through channel partners and our overall goal is to grow the business significantly this year. The Fast-Track initiative brings a programmatic approach to make it really easy for a reseller to partner with Oracle and therefore will be a very significant contribution to our success."

ENDS

About Avnet Technology Solutions

Avnet Technology Solutions is an operating group of Phoenix-based Avnet, Inc. As a global technology sales and marketing organization, Avnet Technology Solutions has sales divisions focused on specific customer segments and a select line card strategy enabling an exceptional level of attention to the needs of its customers and suppliers. For fiscal year 2008, the group served customers in more than 30 countries and generated US $7.6 billion in annual revenue.

Visit: www.ts.avnet.com/emea/

About Avnet Inc

Avnet, Inc. (NYSE:AVT), a Fortune 500 company, is one of the largest distributors of electronic components, computer products and embedded technology in the world. Avnet accelerates its partners' success by connecting the world's leading technology suppliers with a broad base of more than 100,000 customers and providing cost-effective, value-added services and solutions. For the fiscal year ended June 28, 2008, Avnet generated revenue of $17.95 billion. For more information, visit www.avnet.com

 About the Oracle PartnerNetwork

Oracle PartnerNetwork is a global business network of more than 20,000 companies who deliver innovative software solutions based on Oracle software. Through access to Oracle's premier products, education, technical services, marketing and sales support, the Oracle PartnerNetwork program provides partners with the resources they need to be successful in today's global economy.  Oracle partners are able to offer their customers leading-edge solutions backed by Oracle's position as the world's largest enterprise software company. Partners who are able to demonstrate superior product knowledge, technical expertise and a commitment to doing business with Oracle qualify for the Certified Partner levels.  http://oraclepartnernetwork.oracle.com

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For more information please contact:

Mickey Bharat - Director Horizon Software, Avnet Technology Solutions
Tel : 07796 330024
email : Mickey.Bharat@avnet.com

Simon Welch - Marketing Director, Avnet Technology Solutions                   
Tel: 07796 330015
email: simon.welch@avnet.com