Avnet Introduces SolutionsPath Playbooks

Playbooks Serve as an Online Sales Toolkit to Help Partners Easily Identify the
Technology-Based Solutions Needed to Solve Their Customers` Business Challenges
DENVER--(Business Wire)--
Avnet Technology Solutions, the solutions distribution leader and an operating
group of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), introduces its SolutionsPath Playbooks.
Designed for reseller partners in North America, these online Playbooks serve as
comprehensive, time-saving reference guides on how to solve specific customer
challenges. These in-depth sales toolkits group offerings from key suppliers
into detailed solutions, backed by a library of supporting tools and resources.
They are designed to help partners prepare for sales calls, determine what types
of solutions are available from suppliers, access services and generate leads to
build their pipelines. Approximately 75 playbooks will be available initially,
focusing on technology markets such as virtualization, security and storage and
vertical solutions for the government and healthcare markets.

"Avnet has invested in development resources to educate our partners on how to
sell solutions, and the SolutionsPath Playbooks are the next evolution in our
enablement programs," said Colin Blair, director of solutions development, Avnet
Technology Solutions, Americas. "They focus on driving demand creation and
assisting our partners in determining which technology-based solutions their
customers require to overcome their business and IT challenges - all from a view
that spans multiple suppliers and services to best meet customer needs."

Solutions plays detail the architecture needed for specific solutions, and
reseller partners can also access step-by-step online demonstrations of select
technologies used in solutions through Avnet`s on-demand demonstration
capabilities. The plays fall into two categories:

Solutions Plays: Solutions-focused, supplier-agnostic overviews illustrate "what
to sell" through an overview of each market opportunity, its pain points and
drivers and an outline of the most effective technologies for solving the end
customers` needs.

Supplier Plays: These plays drill a level deeper into the technologies that make
up a solution. They include instructions, tools and resources down to a granular
level for a better understanding of each supplier offering and how to position
the offering.

Plays typically include the following sections:

* The Play: a high-level overview and schematic of the solution play

* Background: a brief introduction that lays out the potential causes of the
business or technology pain point
* The Pain: a description of the business or technology problem
* The Solution: a concise description of the solution

* Players: the key suppliers, services and offerings that make up the solution
play
* Game Plan: a detailed business plan of the solution play
* Tools: resources that aid in the marketing and selling of the play
* Instant Replay: webinars and podcasts developed for enablement of the play
* Team: Avnet and supplier resources who support the play
* Whiteboard: a broader view of the comprehensive solution play and offering

"Avnet`s SolutionsPath Playbooks are helpful resources that let resellers
quickly build knowledge of VMware products and see how they fit within an
end-to-end virtualization solution," said Brandon Sweeney, vice president,
Americas channel sales, VMware. "These ready-built tools will not only
accelerate the selling cycles of our partners, but help educate them on emerging
virtualization opportunities. By educating our partners with a solutions-driven
approach, VMware can extend its reach deeper into the market and drive more
demand for its products, all while helping end users address business
challenges."

"We`re always on the lookout for tools that provide a competitive advantage and
also help us accelerate our time to market," said Tony Testolini, vice president
of sales, Solutions II. "We`ve found the SolutionsPath Playbooks in
virtualization especially helpful. The playbooks clearly show how we can address
our customers` business challenges with a technology solution and explain in an
organized, accessible way the elements needed to develop a complete solutions
proposal for the problem."

The playbooks are part of Avnet`s SolutionsPath Know-How Center, a web portal
focused on helping channel partners generate comprehensive solutions sales
opportunities. Avnet`s SolutionsPath Know-How Center can be accessed at
www.ats.avnet.com/know-how, and Avnet SolutionsPath Playbooks are available to
Avnet partners at http://www.ats.avnet.com/playbooks.

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 2009, the group served customers in
more than 30 countries and generated US $7.04 billion in annual revenue. The
group`s Web site is www.ats.avnet.com.

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 27, 2009, Avnet generated revenue of $16.23 billion. For more
information, visit www.avnet.com.

Brodeur Partners, for Avnet
Sonia Bovio, 602-224-4048
sbovio@brodeur.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009