Avnet unveils Indian distribution strategy

Shifting tracks from offering solutions to becoming a national distributor,
Mumbai-based Ontrack Solutions, now part of Avnet Inc, officially announced the
company's distribution plans for the Indian market. In May 2008, US-based Avnet
Inc acquired Ontrack and now the latter been integrated as part of the
operations of Avnet Technology Solutions Asia-Pacific. It will distribute
Avnet's solutions and services in India.

At a select gathering for partners, Avnet India through Ontrack unveiled its
Executive Business Partner Community program wherein it will try to sign up with
solution providers (SP) who can offer Avnet's solutions around security,
networking, IP telephony, virtualization, consolida-tion, storage, mobility,
document content management and messaging. Avnet India will also introduce its
OneTech Services wherein it will work with select solution providers to offer
consultancy, integration, implementation, managed services and support to
enterprise customers.

"All these are the hot selling solutions right now and I am sure with the
kind of support infrastructure we will offer, partners will be able to deploy it
well," said Naresh Desai, Director, Ontrack Solutions.

In India Avnet will offer a package of hardware, software, services and
financing. Talking about the financing, G Balakrishnan, Director, Ontrack
Solutions said, "We will rollout the financing program for our partners where we
will offer entire solution package to the customer and the partner or even the
end customer can repay us at competitive interest rate. Of course, there will


be a limit for the order that needs to be placed to avail this facility and we
are working those modalities out."

Avnet India also bagged its first Indian distribution alliance-with IBM-for
distribution of all its products, other than the software. It will soon be
announcing six more vendor tie-ups by the end of this year. Balakrishnan
mentioned that what makes the Avnet operations different from those of other
distributors in the country is the fact having been a SP themself, he is aware
of the pain points of dealing with a distributor. "We will try to in place
processes which will eliminate the usual hurdles and focus on relationship
driven business by working with select partners, rather than chase the volumes
business," he added.

The company has also floated its first channel scheme where in partners who
place a $2,00,000 worth of order for IBM solutions by Sept 26, 2008, will get a
free trip to Australia, while those placing a $1,00,000 worth order by the same
date will get a free trip to Hong Kong.