On the 6th June 2008, the European Commission published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJ), Prior notification of a concentration between AVNET, a distributor of IT products and technology services and Horizon Technology which specialises in technical integration and distribution of IT products.

Horizon Technology is revolutionizing the conventional distribution model by offering a customer-centric approach and providing superior market liquidity on information storage and display products for computing and technology applications. Rather than a conventional vendor-based distribution model which limits customer choices, Horizon determines the specific needs of its customers and delivers the best solution to meet them. As a leading independent distributor, Horizon can offer more choices because the company isn't limited by a linecard.

Avnet is one of the world's largest industrial distributors of electronic parts, enterprise computing and storage products and embedded subsystems, creating a vital link in the technology supply chain. In addition to its core distribution services, Avnet markets, adds value and creates demand for the products of the world's leading electronic component suppliers, enterprise computing manufacturers and embedded subsystem providers. Avnet brings a breadth and depth of service capabilities, such as supply-chain and design-chain services, logistics solutions, product assembly, device programming, and computer system configuration and integration.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission. Observations must reach the Commission not later than the 16th June 2008 to:

European Commission
Directorate-General for Competition
Merger Registry
J-70
B-1049 Bruxelles/Brussel
fax ((32-2) 296 43 01 or 296 72 44)