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   Investment will boost technical support for power system designs at device andsystem levels across every phase of the design cyclePOING, Germany--(Business Wire)--SILICA, an Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT) company, today announced a strategy toestablish itself as the power experts in European semiconductor distribution.The new strategy is being rolled out under the brand Power `n More, and buildson Silica`s strong ability to support end-to-end designs both at system anddevice level. Explains Karlheinz Weigl, Silica`s regional vice president of sales for CentralEurope and Executive Sponsor for Power `n More, "With the continuing trend forenergy saving in electronic systems, designers need more and more support toalign with the relentless wave of new regulations and directives. To date,engineers have been hampered by a lack of in-depth expertise and know-how acrossthe distribution channel." "Through Power `n More we plan to establish ourselves as the `Power Experts`among European customers and suppliers. To attain this goal, we have investedheavily in training and education to instill in staff at all levels a culturefocused on a detailed understanding of the needs of our power customers." Training and education is just the start of an integrated approach that lies atthe heart of the Power `n More strategy. As power experts, Silica will developthe facilities to support designers from system specification, architecturedefinition and topology, through to assistance on best-fit device selection, PCBlayout or EMC analysis. In doing so, the company is to put extensive resourcesat design engineers` disposal providing its 14 dedicated power field applicationengineers with simulation technology, backed by five fully equipped power labsacross Europe, which will be launched in 2013. As with the company`s successfulCore `n More microcontroller initiative, specific resources will be deployed infocus countries such as Germany, Italy, the UK, France and the Nordic region. Silica application engineers will combine power expertise with their in-depthknowledge of specific application areas, for example in industrial electronics,home automation, identification, lighting and other growth sectors. This meansthat Silica`s technical support can guide customers from inspiration toproduction, regardless of the industry they work in. In-house resources are tobe complemented by a `Platinum` network of independent power systemsconsultants, each able to provide customers with turnkey solutions for powerprojects. Power `n More is fully supported by Silica`s extensive line card featuring mostof the top 10 power IC suppliers, including Analog Devices, Diodes, Infineon,International Rectifier, Maxim Integrated, Microchip, NXP, ON Semiconductor,Renesas, Rohm, STMicroelectronics and Texas Instruments. The strategy builds onSilica`s expertise in programmable logic, MCU/MPU, analogue and lighting designsupport. About SilicaSilica, an Avnet, Inc. (NYSE:AVT) company, is one of the leading semiconductordistributors in Europe. Silica accelerates its customers` success by connecting25 technology suppliers with a broad base of more than 15,000 customers andproviding in-depth design support and cost-effective, value-added services andsolutions. For more information, visit 
  www.silica.com.
   SILICA (Avnet EMG GmbH)Kerstin Kurth, Director Communications+49 (0)8121 777-340kerstin.kurth@silica.comCopyright Business Wire 2013