Avnet Technology Solutions is branching out into new areas with its first acquisition in the auto-ID market.

The distributor last week bought certain assets, including the staff, customer base and supplier relationships, of European radio frequency identification (RFID) distributor Printex. It will sit within the Avnet Computing Components (ACC) and Applied Computing Solutions (ACS) group across Europe, according to Sukh Rayat, vice-president of Europe at ACC and ACS.

“This is a springboard for us to move into new markets through acquisitions,” he said.

“For example, the wireless and mobility markets are one of our key strategic pillars for 2006. We will make more acquisitions in this area, as long as the company is right. The sector is very fragmented and vendors are looking for a pan-European distributor that can help them grow to the next level,” he added.

Printex currently operates in Belgium, France and Italy.

Rayat told CRN that Avnet has retained all of Printex’s vendor relationships. “We will be distributing Symbol products around Europe, as well as Zebra and Handheld,” he said.

He added that the RFID solutions for wholesalers, retailers and industrial firms will also be transferred to ACS.

Alastair Bell, managing director of Bell Microsystems, said the acquisition was a smart move for Avnet.

“This will help Avnet to add real value. It is already one of the better distributors because it actually listens to its resellers,” he said.

“With the RFID product onboard, Avnet can use the technology internally, as well as to add value for partners. It’s a good technology to get into,” he added.

sara_driscoll@vnu.co.uk