Avnet Electronics Marketing Signs UPEK Inc.; Full Line of Biometric Fi

    Business Editors/High-Tech Editors

    PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 24, 2005--Avnet Electronics Marketing, an operating group of Avnet Inc. (NYSE:AVT), has announced a new distribution agreement with biometric fingerprint solutions company UPEK Inc.
    Under the terms of the deal, Avnet Electronics Marketing will carry UPEK's full line of biometric products. Avnet Electronics Marketing is authorized to sell the complete offering of TouchChip(R) and TouchStrip silicon fingerprint area and strip sensors, companion processors, USB readers, embedded biometric subsystems, development kits, and application software. "Biometrics is the latest hot technology and UPEK is a leader in this technology," said Jeff Ittel, senior vice president of semiconductor marketing at Avnet Electronics Marketing, Americas. "This product line adds breadth and depth to Avnet's product offering and will help our customers who are looking to enhance the security level of their own products."
    Biometrics has emerged as a technology that enables more secure verification and identification -- areas that have gained increased attention in the aftermath of 9/11. The need for more secure forms of authentication in the corporate environment has grown as users become more mobile and devices gain more storage capacity. UPEK addresses these types of needs by offering complete biometric fingerprint solutions that are easy to integrate into notebook PCs, handheld devices, cell phones, physical access controls, and PC peripherals. UPEK solutions provide the security of biometric technology with convenience at the tip of a finger. "UPEK is excited to leverage Avnet's distribution expertise for our customers in North America," said Patrick Bouju, vice president of worldwide sales at UPEK. "Our relationship will help introduce UPEK solutions to a wider customer base and facilitate integration of UPEK's biometric subsystems by improving the level of technical support."

    About Avnet Electronics Marketing

    Avnet Electronics Marketing is the largest operating group of Phoenix-based Avnet Inc., a Fortune 500 company with fiscal 2004 sales exceeding $10 billion, and one of the world's largest technology marketing, distribution and services companies. Avnet Electronics Marketing, Americas (EMA) serves electronic original equipment manufacturers (EOEMs) and electronic manufacturing services (EMS) providers in North America and Brazil, distributing electronic components from leading manufacturers and providing associated services. The company's Web site is located at http://www.em.avnet.com.

    About UPEK Inc.

    Headquartered in Berkeley, Calif., UPEK Inc. is a privately held biometric fingerprint solutions company launched as a venture-backed spin-off from STMicroelectronics in 2004. The fingerprint solutions offered by UPEK under the TouchChip(R) brand have been shipping in volume since 1999 and have been integrated into a variety of commercial applications. UPEK offers the full range of capabilities needed to deliver end-to-end solutions, including silicon fingerprint sensors, biometric algorithms, companion processors, and application software. For more information, visit www.upek.com.

--30--EK/ix*

CONTACT: Avnet Electronics Marketing, Phoenix Jennifer Read, 480-643-2931 Jennifer.read@avnet.com

KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA ARIZONA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HARDWARE SOFTWARE NETWORKING PRODUCT SOURCE: Avnet Electronics Marketing

Copyright Business Wire 2005