Avnet Technology Solutions Expands Enterprise Mobility Solutions with Vangard Voice Systems

Avnet and Vangard to Rapidly Deploy Speech-Enabled Mobile Business Applications

TEMPE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avnet Technology Solutions, Americas, a value-added distributor of enterprise computing products, software and services and an operating group of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), today announced a new relationship with Vangard Voice Systems, Inc., the only provider of professional-grade tools for fast, easy integration of speech into mobile business applications. Avnet’s Enterprise Mobility team will work with its partner community of value-added resellers (VARs) and independent software vendors (ISVs) to help integrate Vangard’s AccuSPEECH™ technology into a variety of mobile business and eForms enterprise applications.

“Avnet and Vangard are joining forces to help channel partners incorporate hands free, eyes free voice input capability into enterprise mobility solutions,” said Michael Douglass, vice president, Enterprise Mobility, Avnet Technology Solutions, Americas. “By embedding voice technology into mobile products, our partners can create solutions that make life easier for end technology users, while clearly differentiating themselves in the market with these capabilities. Data entry with voice technology becomes effortless, and significantly more accurate, when users can talk to their systems rather than manipulating input devices, especially among users that need to input data while also performing manual tasks.”

Vangard’s AccuSPEECH solution provides the critical development layer of connectivity between any major voice recognition engine and any mobile business application. Avnet and Vangard’s embedded systems engineers and sales resources will help partners develop cost-effective, reliable and scalable voice-enabled solutions using AccuSPEECH. These solutions are particularly beneficial for partners supporting desk-free computing in government/public sector, healthcare and logistics enterprise environments due to their need for highly accurate and efficient data entry.

“Vangard Voice and Avnet are fulfilling the promise of voice technology in the workplace,” said Bob Bova, president and CEO of Vangard Voice Systems, Inc. “Avnet’s engineering, integration and logistics support will enable our channel partners to deliver world-class support for voice-enabled mobile technology products.”

To ease the design and deployment of complete enterprise mobility solutions, Avnet is creating bundled solutions that include hardware, software and services along with Vangard’s technology. The graphic user interface provided with AccuSPEECH Technology further reduces development and deployment time by eliminating the need to generate thousands of lines of custom code typically associated with developing voice applications. AccuSPEECH can be deployed on any platform that supports Windows Mobile, Microsoft’s .NET Framework, Win32, HTML, Java and C++/C#/VB.NET. AccuSPEECH has native language support for 20 languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Swedish, Polish and Dutch.

Avnet's Enterprise Mobility team provides a suite of services focused on demand generation, logistics, cellular activation and advanced integration to help solution providers, systems integrators and VAR partners succeed in the fast-growing enterprise mobility market. The Avnet Enterprise Mobility team helps partners design, develop and implement complete, custom mobility solutions leveraging industry-leading technology from suppliers such as Motorola, Intermec, HandHeld Products, and Printronix. Additional information regarding Avnet's Enterprise Mobility practice can be found at www.avnet.com/mobility.

About Vangard Voice Systems, Inc.

Vangard Voice Systems, Inc. is the provider of AccuSPEECH SDK, the only professional grade, platform independent, integrated solution that easily integrates speech into any business or mobile enterprise application. AccuSPEECH enables applications that reside on PDAs, Smartphones, cell phones, tablets, desktop or laptop PCs. AccuSPEECH improves the quality and reach of the information capture process by making data entry and access on electronic forms faster, easier and more accurate than manual entry, providing real-time database updating capability. Vangard Voice solutions are used in a variety of markets including supply chain management, logistics, transportation, healthcare, government, defense and public safety. Vangard Voice Systems is headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California. For more information, visit www.vangardvoice.com.

About Avnet Technology Solutions

Avnet Technology Solutions is an operating group of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE:AVT) representing US$5.1 billion in annual revenue for calendar year 2006, with locations in more than 30 countries. 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. Visit www.ats.avnet.com/.

About Avnet

With more than 250 locations serving customers in 70 countries worldwide, Avnet markets, distributes and adds value to the products of the world’s leading electronic component suppliers, enterprise computer manufacturers and embedded subsystem providers. Additionally, Avnet brings a breadth and depth of service capabilities, such as supply-chain optimization, logistics solutions, product assembly, device programming, computer system integration and engineering design assistance. For the fiscal year ended July 1, 2006, Avnet generated revenue of $14.25 billion. Visit www.avnet.com/.