Mouser Electronics, Inc., known for its rapid introduction of the newest products, today announced it was named the 2009 Distributor of the Year – Sales Growth for Panasonic Electric Works, a market leader in electromechanical and solid state relays.

Panasonic chose Mouser for the top spot in recognition of its exponential sales growth percentage, across the board, for Panasonic Electric Works’ product lines for 2009. Mouser’s ability to reach electronic and design engineers with the newest products and latest technologies for a time-to-market advantage was the compelling boost behind the explosive sales growth.

Keith Privett, Mouser Vice President of Electromechanical, was pleased with Mouser’s first Panasonic award. “Mouser’s sales growth for 2009 with Panasonic was phenomenal and was an accomplishment we first celebrated internally. The Panasonic 2009 Distributor of the Year award confirmed Mouser’s commitment to rapidly providing the latest products with world-class customer service. It is a pleasure doing business with Panasonic Electric Works and we look forward to future exponential growth”

Steve Cummins, PEWA’s General Manager of Marketing, recognized Mouser’s achievement. ” Panasonic thrives on the strong performance of our Sales partners. We are delighted that, through Mouser, we have increased our reach into the design community, with their commitment to stocking our relay, sensor and connector products”

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Avnet Abacus today announced that it has extended its franchise with Amphenol-Tuchel to become a system distributor for its products.

Under the extended agreement, Avnet Abacus will operate as an Amphenol-Tuchel reseller, supporting and supplying customers, systems integrators and other European distributors for low quantity business. Avnet Abacus will provide full technical support and will maintain a stock profile that supports European market demand. Products covered include the Ecomate series, the C16-3 series and, exclusively in EMEA, the smart card readers series C702 and C703.

Stefano Ravera, Distribution Manager at Amphenol-Tuchel, said, “Amphenol-Tuchel connector solutions offer exceptional performance for demanding and critical applications. Avnet Abacus has demonstrated fully that it has the technical expertise and the logistical scale to take on the System Distributor role, and deliver the exceptional service that European customers and partners expect from Amphenol-Tuchel.”

“The agreement gives Avnet Abacus a central place in Amphenol-Tuchel’s channel to the European market.” added Hagen Götze, European Marketing Manager at Avnet Abacus. “Amphenol-Tuchel is the latest franchise to strengthen its relationship with us on a pan-European basis. We are delighted to take on the role of pan-European system distributor, and are looking forward to partnering with customers, systems integrators and distributors to extend and broaden the market for this exceptional portfolio of connector products.”

Amphenol-Tuchel offers a wide range of high performance interconnect solutions including industrial, environmental and DIN connectors. It is an independent company within Amphenol headquartered in Heilbronn, Germany. Production facilities are located in Germany, Czech Republic, and mainland China, and the company has ISO 9001 Certification including QS 9000 and VDA standards.

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Aerco now holds extensive stock of BS 3G 210 PTFE equipment wire from Habia Cable. All three types: A (rated at 300V), B (600V) and C (1,000V) will be held at Horsham in all 12 colours, including striped versions.

By holding stock Aerco can supply a wide spectrum of customers with top quality PTFE wire on small minimum order quantities. Normal MOQs from the manufacturer will be of the order of 1,500 metres of each colour but the Aerco supply service calculates the annual usage, this is then stocked by Aerco and supplied, as required, in 100 metre reels.

Habia PTFE insulated wire has a silver plated conductor and an operating temperature range of -50ºC to +190ºC and is suitable of all electronic and electrical equipment that require high performance in harsh conditions.

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Increased CSR commitment during tough economic conditions is recognised by UK’s leading industry carbon strategy benchmark, demonstrating the Company’s continued commitment to the environment, its customers, suppliers and employees

Premier Farnell plc (LSE:pfl), the leading multi-channel, high service distributor of electronic products and services to millions of design engineers and purchasing professionals globally, announces it has been named as the highest ranking FTSE 250 company distributing electronics design engineering components to design engineers in the new FTSE CDP Carbon Strategy 350 Index (“the Index”).

The Index provides a “carbon-tilted” version of the FTSE 350, highlighting variation based on constituents’ exposure to carbon risk relative to their sector peers. It is the first assessment of its kind to utilise future-orientated criteria rather than past emissions data, and is designed to provide both retail and institutional investors with the opportunity to achieve diversified market exposure in addition to managing the impact of climate change in their investments.

The Index is the first of a series of benchmarks, The FTSE CDP Carbon Strategy Index Series, being jointly produced by the FTSE Group, the Carbon Disclosure Group (‘CDP’) and carbon performance agency ENDS Carbon. The Series has been designed in response to growing awareness of the significant potential impact of climate change on investment returns.

Premier Farnell is currently in its fourth year of its carbon reduction programme, through which it has implemented a number of initiatives to help achieve its overall goal of reducing its impact on the climate to the lowest practicable and economic level, whilst reducing the costs and risks associated with purchasing energy. The Company continues to work hard to make further reductions. Recent measures to improve its performance have included the overhaul of lighting systems at all of its major facilities and the initiation of an engagement programme aimed at encouraging more employees to consider their levels of energy consumption.

Premier Farnell’s commitment is further evident in its achievements by reducing its carbon footprint by 23% since 2006, while continuing to grow the international reach of its business. Innovation has featured strongly with the company’s own award-winning biodegradable packaging for electronic components being integrated into its service to customers, becoming a champion for green technology in electronic design.

Harriet Green, CEO of Premier Farnell said “As a global company, we are aware of the strategic importance of the social and environmental impact that our activities can have and we believe it is critical that we conduct our business in a sustainable and responsible manner. Our ranking in the Index – 11th overall and the highest placed FTSE 250 constituent – is testament to the hard work and commitment shown in this area by all of our employees. Our carbon reduction effort remains an integral part of our Trust Agenda, as our CSR drive rests at the very core of our culture. Our employees tell us every year, in our regular survey of their views, how important our environmental and community focus is to them. We continue to work hard for further improvements as part of our drive to remain best in class in all aspects of our business performance.”

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Electronic components distributor Digi-Key Corporation, recognized by design engineers as having the industry’s broadest selection of electronic components available for immediate shipment, today announced it has upgraded its iPhone application for users in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Digi-Key’s iPhone application is currently available in English in the US, Canada and Mexico and is available to iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users for download in the App Store on iTunes.

One of the most innovative new features of the iPhone application enables the customer to view, download, and save high-resolution part datasheets directly to his or her iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. In release 1.0, datasheets were available for viewing only while performing a part search. In this release, the datasheets are available for viewing may be e-mailed or saved for future reference. Datasheets are essential tools to aid our customers in choosing the “right” part. Once saved, the datasheet will appear in a new menu item on the main menu. The customer can come back at any time, open the datasheet, proceed to the part detail related to that datasheet and simply add the part to his/her shopping cart.

Additional upgrades to Digi-Key’s iPhone application include support of all Digi-Key sanctioned international currencies and the ability to view orders created from web, phone, fax, and mobile devices.

“Release 2.0 of our flagship iPhone application embodies Digi-Key’s continuous commitment to provide our domestic and international customers with convenient intuitive applications which enable them to be more productive and efficient in their work,” said John Collins, Chief Information Officer at Digi-Key.

Collins said many of Digi-Key’s competitors have launched applications for electronic components that use mobile websites, while Digi-Key has chosen to build an actual application that is ultimately easier for customers to use.

Visit www.digikey.com or the App Store on iTunes at www.apple.com/itunes for more information about Digi-Key’s iPhone Application.

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Electronic components distributor Digi-Key Corporation today announced video of its first Lighting Technology Symposium, held May 13 at PURE Nightclub in Las Vegas, Nevada, is now available for viewing on Digi-Key’s website, www.digikey.com/lighting.

The video shows the panel discussion in its entirety with representatives from Cree, Texas Instruments, LEDIL and Laird Technologies. Margery Conner, Technical Editor for EDN magazine, moderated the panel discussion. The symposium also featured various displays, discussions, and innovations in the lighting industry.

To view the panel discussion for the Lighting Technology Symposium, go to Digi-Key’s Lighting Solutions Technology Zone, www.digikey.com/lighting, and click on the link for “Digi-Key’s Symposium on Lighting” in the Videos section under Featured Resources.

Visit www.digikey.com/lighting for more information about Digi-Key’s offering of more than 9,500 lighting solution products in stock from more than 60 of the world’s leading suppliers of lighting solutions.

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Electronic components distributor Digi-Key Corporation, recognized by design engineers as having the industry’s broadest selection of electronic components available for immediate shipment, today announced its sales in Europe for the first quarter of 2010 increased by 115% over sales figures for the first quarter of 2009. Digi-Key’s total sales worldwide for the first quarter of 2010 increased by 63% over worldwide sales in the first quarter of 2009.

“Digi-Key’s sales growth in Europe for Q1 2010 demonstrates our presence and market share in European countries is increasing as we expand our reach and marketing efforts to our customers worldwide,” said Mark Larson, Digi-Key’s president and COO. “We attribute this success to increasing recognition of the fact that Digi-Key performs for engineers and purchasers in Europe, the increase of unique visitors to our website, and our commitment to provide the best service possible.”

Digi-Key’s website, www.digikey.com, was recently listed as the Most Visited Distributor Website based on a survey of North American engineers conducted by EE|Times Group (EE Times Distribution Study/May 2010). Additionally, when comparing Digi-Key’s website to other distributor websites through the Alexa® web information company, results show the worldwide reach, or number of users worldwide, for Digi-Key’s website far exceeds that of its competitors’ websites. This comparison also shows that Digi-Key’s website has seen a greater increase in users worldwide than its competitors’ websites in the last 18 months.

“Digi-Key’s role as a global provider via the web continues to grow at an accelerated rate. A customer’s desire to have access to the broadest array of components available for immediate shipment is universal,” said Dave Doherty, Digi-Key’s vice president of semiconductor product. “Our sales in Europe so far in 2010 are double the rate for equivalent periods in 2009. We attribute this impressive growth to Digi-Key’s desire to become more valuable in the European market by stocking more products from our supplier partners specifically for local European consumption.”

Digi-Key Corporation focuses on providing customers with superior service, which includes product selection and availability, on-time delivery, and responsiveness. Using leading-edge processes and state-of-the-art technologies, Digi-Key serves a global customer base from its 600,000 square foot facility in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, USA.

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First Digital Power Factor Correction ICs to Outperform Analog PFCs

Mouser Electronics, Inc., known for its rapid introduction of the newest products, today announced it is stocking the new Cirrus Logic CS1500 / CS1600, the first digital power factor correction ICs to outperform analog PFCs on performance and price.

These Cirrus Logic PFC controller ICs offer designers improved performance and simplified designs compared to legacy analog PFC products. The CS1500 is designed for power supply uses while the CS1600 is ideal for lighting ballast systems. These Cirrus Logic digital PFC controller ICs feature the new EXL Core™ architecture, giving the devices the advantage over analog products of being able to intelligently solve increasingly complex power management challenges. The CS1500 and CS1600 have patent-pending digital noise shaping technology that enables reduced-sized EMI filters and cuts the need for additional high-priced components and circuitry. These digital PFC controller ICs improve energy efficiency across all load conditions with a distinct performance advantage in light load conditions. Learn more

Mike Scott, Mouser Vice President Active Products, believes the Cirrus Logic CS1500 / CS1600 will eventually replace many analog PFCs as regulatory efficiency requirements become stricter. “Design engineers can design in performance improvement and cost savings, as well as simplifying the design with fewer components.”

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Avnet Abacus and Molex today concluded a strategic agreement extending their relationship to cover the manufacturer’s complete portfolio of automotive connector solutions throughout Europe.

The agreement extends Avnet Abacus European franchise agreement to cover specialist automotive connector families such as CMC hybrid connectors, the HSAutoLink™ I/O connector system and the MOX family of wire-to-board connectors. Avnet Abacus will also be able to offer the full portfolio of standard Molex connectors to automotive customers, such as PicoFlex, FFC/FPC connectors, KK and MiniFit.

Hagen Goetze, European Marketing Manager of Avnet Abacus commented, “We now offer the full portfolio of Molex products throughout Europe. Molex is well known for the exceptional high quality of its products which are widely accepted in the automotive market. We are looking forward not only to offering an extended range of solutions to our existing customers, but also to identifying new customers for Avnet Abacus and for Molex.”

Martin Pfeil, Distribution Corporate Account Manager of Molex added, “We are impressed with the way the Avnet Abacus organisation has evolved and the continuing strength and depth of our relationship with them. Avnet Abacus’ extended field sales and local technical marketing resources coupled with the Avnet global logistical and financial resources offers a unique value add to Molex automotive customers in the recovering market. This is a logical extension to a long term and very successful partnership.”

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Mouser Electronics, Inc., known for its rapid introduction of the newest products, today announced it is the only distributor to be stocking Littelfuse Silicon Protection Array (SPA™) Sample Kits.

Modern chipsets utilize nanometer processing technologies making them extremely susceptible to damage which necessitates the need for external protection. Silicon Protection Arrays™ (SPA) are specifically designed to protect sensitive electronic components from ESD (Electrostatic Discharge), EFT (Electrical Fast Transients), and lightning induced transients. The Littelfuse SPA devices offer the lowest dynamic resistance during an ESD or any EOS (Electrical Over Stress) event which reduces clamping voltage levels far below that of competing technologies such as MLV, MOV, and polymer. The SPA portfolio offers a wide range of devices to suit the majority of applications available in the market today such as: USB 2.0/3.0, HDMI 1.3/1.4, DVI, 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet, eSATA, 1394a/b, LVDS, audio, analog video, keypads/pushbuttons, and LCD/camera display interfaces.

Mouser is exclusively offering the SPA Sample Kits that include ten samples each of the 39 SPA devices. Additionally, each flexible notebook includes a product selection guide and protection samples of 16 different common applications. Ultimately, the sample kit provides a cost-effective supply of various SPA devices for the convenience of design engineers.

Andy Kerr, Mouser Vice President of Passives & Circuit Protection, says the new SPA devices will solve numerous issues presented by today’s ICs that have contact discharge levels down to ±0.5kV. Kerr says, “The Littelfuse Silicon Protection Arrays are an ideal solution for new ICs facing the threat of ESD damage. In addition, the SPA kits offered by Mouser will provide a cost-effective SPA supply and documentation for many suitable applications.”

“The Littelfuse line of Silicon Protection Arrays clearly delivers superior protection for today’s demanding electronic applications.” adds Paul Dickinson, Littelfuse Vice President & General Manager of the Semiconductor Products Business. “We are proud to partner with Mouser to offer devices that will address these challenging circuit protection issues for design engineers.”

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