The new look Avnet Embedded company is unveiled today.
It unites the former Abacus Embedded business with the 18-month old Avnet Embedded unit.
"We have created a true pan-European embedded distributor," says Martin Brooks (pictured), vice president of Avnet Embedded. The company has operations in all the major European market places. Mostwill go to market under the Avnet Embedded brand. Exceptions are where says Brooks "local companies have an excellent brande equity". These are the UK wireless specialist TDC, Trident in the UK, Benelux and Nordic regions and Axess Technology in France. All are former acquisitions of the Abacus Group which was bought by Avnet in January this year.
The company's strategy is to offer sufficient technology support to enable customers to focus on their in-house IP. Avnet Embedded has a network of laboratories in the UK, France, Italy and the Nordic region. They will take on tasks ranging from the development of a demonstration kit for a display application through to full systems integration and manufacture of prototypes. If required they can also help identify ODMs for full production runs.
The distributor will specialise in embedded operating systems and software; displays; wireless and networking; embedded computing and industrial printers.
Three regional businesses have been created. Northern Europe which encompasses the UK, Nordic and the Benelux countries will be headed by Mats Sjobrand and Harald Kuzler is director for central and easter Europe. Directing operations in Italy and Spain will be Alessandro Brazzoni. Alastair Worth is general manager for TDC in the UK and is also marketing director for the wireless business in Europe. In addition Nick Donaldson is marketing director for Microsoft Embedded and Microsoft Dynamic.
Local French and German warehouses have been closed and inventory centralised in Avnet's Poing Distribution Centre near Munich. TDC will keep what Brooks describes as "a proximity warehouse" to serve UK wireless customers.
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