PHOENIX—January 17, 2012 — Avnet, Inc. (NYSE:AVT), a leading global technology distributor, has announced that registration is now open for college students across the nation to compete in both the Arizona Onsite and Spring Virtual Avnet Tech Games. The events help students prepare for real-world business opportunities and compete for a chance to win scholarships.

The Spring Virtual Avnet Tech Games competition is open to college students nationwide. The Onsite Avnet Tech Games competition is open to Arizona college students only and will be held April 14, 2012, at The University of Advancing Technology in Tempe, Ariz. Both competitions require students to test their knowledge, creativity, decision-making, problem-solving and technical skills.

“The Avnet Tech Games is a differentiator when it comes to setting yourself apart from an increasingly competitive global job market,” said Teri Radosevich, vice president of Avnet community relations and public affairs. “Anything that can set a student’s resume apart from the thousands of similar resumes is crucial in today’s market. Participating in one or two of the many competitive events that comprise the Avnet Tech Games can be the leg-up for students when it comes to nailing their first job. Not only will students have the opportunity to compete for scholarships, they will also have the chance to network with executives and recruiters from top technology companies like Microsoft, Cisco and, of course, Avnet.”

The 2012 Spring Virtual Avnet Tech Games include:

• Android™ App Showdown – Students develop a Google Android™ App using Google’s Android™ SDK and Open API.
• Green Video Competition – Competitors combine video production skills, environmental awareness and marketing skills to create a short video on environmental initiatives at their college.
• Kevin’s High-Tech Home Makeover – This game honors Kevin Olson, an Avnet employee who was left paralyzed after a car accident. Kevin was one of the early champions of the Avnet Tech Games. Teams compete to design the best all-around high-tech solution that would transform Kevin’s home into a haven of technology allowing him to accomplish a set of specific scenarios and requirements that would make for a better life.
• Virtual Digital Design Dilemma – Participants will create and document a working digital design in a Xilinx FPGA with a focus on quality and thoroughness of the design documentation.

The 2012 onsite Avnet Tech Games include:

• Build and Tune the Fastest Computer – Build, troubleshoot and tune a PC the fastest.
• Cisco Expert Battle – Student teams will set up, deploy, troubleshoot and repair a network similar to a small office configuration.
• Digital Design Dilemma – Create, validate and document a FPGA design that works on a provided circuit board.
• Green Data Center Challenge – Develop and present a proposal to bring an aging legacy data center forward into a model Green Data Center.
• Microsoft Digital Signage Challenge – Teams will compete to design the best all-around example of an engaging digital signage application. Digital Signage can include viewer touch interaction, camera recognition and integration with handheld via QR Codes.
• Patch Panel Madness – Build a working data network using a provided network diagram, cabling, patch panels, switches and racks.
• Robot Race – Build and program a robot to maneuver and tow objects through different courses.
• Solar Scrimmage – Design, build, test and present the best overall solar-powered “green energy” water pumping system.

Registration for the spring virtual games and the onsite games opens January 17, 2012. Winning students may apply their scholarship to any accredited college in the U.S.

The Arizona Onsite Avnet Tech Games will run from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 14, 2012 at The University of Advancing Technology, 2625 W. Baseline Rd., Tempe, Ariz.