Heard in the Channel: Avnet, Future launch new divisions

Future Electronicsand Avnet Inc. each announced in July new company divisions focused on providing integrated technology solutions to a range of customers.

Avnet said its Avnet Embedded division launched Rorke Global Solutions, a business unit offering combined hardware, software and related solutions to original equipment manufacturers, independent software vendors and others looking for unique solutions and services that cover product development all the way up to end-of-life and asset recovery. Rorke’s solutions will combine internal products and services with off-the-shelf technologies from a wide range of manufacturers, the distributor said.

Avnet’s Chuck Kostalnick, senior vice president of Avnet Embedded, will lead the business unit, which will also include a dedicated sales and consulting group led by Avnet veteran Scott MacDonald, who will serve as vice president of sales and market solutions.

“Today, many OEMs and ISVs go through multiple iterations of solution development and invest a lot of personnel and time coordinating multiple product and service vendors when they introduce a new technology into their product line, supply chain, or business,” said MacDonald. “My group’s goal is to simplify this into one coordinated process so that our customers achieve the highest return on investment when they deploy digital signage, security and surveillance, M2M, IT infrastructure or open-compute technologies.”

Avnet, Inc. ranked first in Global Purchasing’s 2013 list of the Top 50 Electronics Distributors.

In a similar move, Future announced a new division of the company focused on the machine-to-machine marketplace. Future Connectivity Solutions (FCS) offers marketing, sales, technical sales, and solutions support to customers looking for communications and connectivity products and services, especially wireless technology.

“Future Electronics has a long history of providing focused and dedicated support to emerging vertical segments such as solid-state lighting and energy solutions. We believe that our customers’ increasing desire to enhance wireless options for their own products validates the need for a unique and focused service model,” Dan Casey, Future’s executive vice president of global engineering said in a statement announcing the division July 17.

Along with a dedicated product marketing team, FCS also has a team of dedicated sales managers and wireless advanced engineers.

“The availability of dedicated resources and highly specialized experts who completely understand the wireless ecosystem is something customers have requested and we are now delivering,” Casey said.

FCS plays the role of technology integrator, adding value to customers’ businesses by showing how emerging technologies can create enhanced efficiency, productivity and new revenue streams, the company said. Healthcare, industrial, agriculture, transportation, intelligent buildings and M2M infrastructure are key areas Future has pegged for growth in the connectivity market.

Future Electronics ranked third in Global Purchasing’s 2013 list of the Top 50 Electronics Distributors.

More Industry News

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Avnet Embedded signed an agreement with Onyx Healthcare USA to distribute its medical grade embedded computing and information technology products, focusing on medical-related applications.
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