Avnet Technology Solutions and IBM enter into distribution agreement for Retail Store Solutions in Europe

Avnet Technology Solutions, an IT solutions distributor and an operating group of Avnet, Inc., has expanded its global relationship with IBM to include the distribution of IBM's world-class Retail Store Solutions (RSS) in the European region. Avnet will distribute IBM's RSS solutions to its value-added reseller (VAR) and independent software vendor (ISV) partners in the U.K., Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Austria, with additional countries to follow. Business partners will benefit from Avnet's ability to provide complete end-to-end retail solutions that leverage Avnet's portfolio of server, storage, mobility and wireless technologies. Avnet will also provide integration support for ISV-based solutions through its IBM accredited integration centre centrally located in Tongeren, Belgium.
 
"Avnet's track record in accelerating the success of IBM and its VAR and ISV partners has earned us the opportunity to expand our support for the retail market across Europe," said Miriam Murphy, senior vice president, IBM product business group at Avnet Technology Solutions, EMEA. "We will provide dedicated support for business partners looking to expand their sales in the retail market, including training, enablement, solutions demonstrations and proof of concept units for use with partners' customers. We see this as a win for partners looking to support traditional retail markets, as well as those targeting non-traditional retail environments. Avnet's IBM RSS partners can also target markets such as healthcare, government and leisure by leveraging the point-of-sale and mobility solutions available through Avnet to solve their customers' unique business needs."
 
Avnet is IBM's largest distributor globally, with more than $3 billion USD in annual sales. The two companies recently celebrated 25 years of partnership. Key to the success of the relationship between Avnet and IBM is Avnet's ability to develop and deliver complete solutions that target the business issues of end customers.  Avnet will complement IBM's RSS offerings in the point-of-sale (POS) and self-service areas with mobility and wireless technologies, such as barcode and scanner solutions from Motorola, plus provide sales and enablement support from Avnet's experts in these markets.
 
"In addition to helping traditional IBM and Motorola partners deliver IBM RSS solutions, Avnet will be working with the ISV community, who create software solutions for RSS products, and non-IBM electronic POS resellers, to create valuable solutions that address the challenges facing the retail market," said Keith Robinson, product business group director, wireless and mobility at Avnet Technology Solutions, EMEA. "Our integration capabilities will be of key importance to ISVs as we will be able to offer full integration capability of their software into complete IBM RSS solutions."
 
"The benefits Avnet provides to IBM's business partners extend beyond the company's value-added services, such as logistics and technical design support," said Ted Clark, IBM RSS Global Channel Leader. "Avnet's ability to support a broad base of partners across Europe through a combination of local resources and regional strengths has made them an excellent company to provide pan-European distribution for IBM RSS solutions. Avnet's unique market position allows them to leverage best practices and resources from around the region to help our partners target new opportunities in the growing retail market.  Their breadth of IBM software, hardware, and services expertise will more quickly enable our business partners to provide Smarter Commerce solutions to retailers in Europe."