Avnet (NYSE: AVT), a leading global technology distributor, will showcase a selection of innovative smart solutions based on its secure IoTConnect platform at CES 2018, January 9-12 in Las Vegas. Avnet’s IoTConnect platform was developed to provide customers with a single go-to software platform to support the complex communications, device and data management capability required to leverage the power of the Internet of Things (IoT) to make their businesses more productive, efficient and competitive in the digital age.

Avnet invites show attendees to visit booth #2609, at Tech East, Westgate, to get a first-hand look at how the company is anticipating and responding to market demand for cutting-edge IoT solutions. With support from a number of strategic technology partners, Avnet is offering a diverse slate of smart IoT solutions that integrate advanced software capability and state-of-the-art silicon component technologies. These solutions offer targeted functionality to support an array of industry verticals, including manufacturing, healthcare, environmental, construction, retail, food processing and smart city.

IoTConnect utilizes the enterprise-grade Microsoft Azure hybrid cloud computing service to enable the seamless distribution and analysis of data across cloud and on-premise systems. Among the IoTConnect-enabled offerings to be demonstrated at CES 2018 will be Avnet’s Smart Retail solution, which deploys processing, connectivity and sensor technologies from NXP Semiconductors to increase retailers’ operational and marketing effectiveness.

For example, leveraging the edge-processing and cloud application program interfaces (API) of NXP’s i.MX applications processor, Smart Retail allows retailers to create targeted advertising and promotional campaigns based on inventory levels and customer demographics. In addition, NXP’s sensor and wireless technologies deployed in products like Smart Shelf can help retailers avoid stock-outs by monitoring inventory levels, and maintain proper food handling standards via temperature and humidity sensors.

“This year, for our CES debut, Avnet is teaming up with prominent players in our IoT ecosystem, like NXP, to demonstrate the exceptional value we can offer customers when we combine our collective expertise in product, design and supply chain,” said Lou Lutostanski, Avnet’s vice president, Internet of Things. “Avnet and NXP have enjoyed a productive and collaborative relationship for decades, and these new smart solutions illustrate our ongoing mutual commitment to accelerating our customers’ pathway to success within their respective markets.”

“To capture the tremendous benefits of IoT, organizations need to overcome a variety of challenges, such as meeting performance, reliability and security requirements, while keeping complexity in check,” said NXP’s Sid Shaw, senior director global sales and marketing. “By leveraging Avnet’s IoTConnect platform and NXP’s secure and connected solutions for embedded applications, we give innovators a head start in driving differentiated products and services that will ultimately make all of our lives easier, better and safer.”

The Avnet connected ecosystem, which includes Avnet.com, Hackster.io, element14 and Hardware Studio, supports more than two million customers driving IoT innovation around the world. Avnet is also a member of the IoT M2M Council (IMC), the largest and fastest-growing trade group dedicated to the IoT sector.

Following CES, Avnet will launch a series of customer training sessions to help break down the complexity of building IoT solutions and scaling them for mass distribution. Visit Avnet.com/IoT for updates on these instructional programs. For more information on NXP IoT solutions available through Avnet, visit Avnet’s IoT ecosystem portal at Avnet.com/IoT.