Tyco Electronics has extended its franchise distribution agreement with Avnet to include all of Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan and India.

The extension of the global franchise agreement includes connectors and interconnect systems, relays, switches, circuit protection devices, sensors, wires and cable for a variety of end markets.

"Through our newly expanded agreement with Tyco, we are able to offer customers shorter leadtimes, reduced time to market, and a broad product line," says Tom McCartney, senior vice president of IP&E business development worldwide for Avnet Electronics Marketing.

Nu Horizons, a Melville, N.Y. distributor, says it is expanding its light-emitting diode (LED) products and services by including more suppliers and services.

As part of the Nu Solutions Network, the suppliers are working together to offer LED products and cross-discipline design tools aimed at reducing development cycles and enabling customers to quickly adopt LED lighting technology.

Rita Megling, senior vice president of marketing for Nu Horizons, notes that an LED lighting system is comprised of multiple subsystems interacting with each other to improve the system's overall performance. "Rather than offer our customers a laundry list of options to integrate on their own, we've put together a cohesive team representing each of the design disciplines, with solutions for even the most complicated lighting designs," she says.

Among Nu Solutions LED suppliers are OSRAM Opto Semiconductor, Allegro Microsystems, Linear Technology, Micrel Semiconductor and ON Semiconductor.

Allied Electronics in Fort Worth, Texas has signed distribution agreements with two new suppliers that will expand its product offering of connectors.

Allied has signed an agreement with Hirschmann Automation and Control to distribute its ICON (Industrial Connectors) line. Allied has also signed an agreement with Pass & Seymour to distribute its GCFI products, duplex receptacles, inlets and outlets, as well as Turnlok connectors and plugs.

"Customers now have access to more than 40,000 connector solutions from Allied," says Lee Davidson, president of Allied.

Mouser Electronics of Mansfield, Texas has signed a distribution agreement with Ericsson Power Modules, a supplier of DC/DC converters and regulators for distributed power architectures.

The devices are widely used by medical, avionics, computer, military and industrial equipment makers. Mouser will carry the manufacturer's isolated and non-isolated DC/DC converts and regulators.

Digi-Key will carry Vishay Intertechnology's portfolio of semiconductor products, including MOSFETs, diodes, rectifiers, RF transistors and optoelectronics under a new distribution agreement. Vishay Intertechnology is one of the world's largest manufacturers of discrete semiconductors and passive electronic components. Digi-Key Corp. is a broad-line distributor of board level components.

"Vishay is very pleased to further strengthen its relationship with Digi-Key in this way," said David Valletta, Vishay's executive vice president, worldwide sales.