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PHOENIX — Avnet, Inc. (NYSE:AVT) announced today that it has agreed to acquire the Magirus Group (Magirus), a leading pan-European distributor of data center solutions and services. Magirus is a leading value-add distributor of software, systems and related services encompassing virtualization, storage management, cloud computing, security, intelligent networks and information life-cycle management services. Through its professional services portfolio and knowledge of the IT sector, Magirus enables business partners to take new technologies to market in eleven markets throughout Europe and the Middle East. The transaction, which is subject to normal regulatory approvals, is expected to close in October 2012.
{complink 577|Avnet Inc.}
A similar intent was stopped dead in the US as well. An effort to curb and prosecute copyright and patent infringement conducted on Websites received a lot of negative publicity in the US. The concern was it gave government too much latitude in shutting down questionable sites. Sounds like a similar situation — we want government to protect our IP but we don't like the way they go about it. Not sure I have a solution, but it's a question worth asking every time it comes up.
The French might have miscalculated and killed the treaty. In France, a law that would ban someone from using the Internet after three “strikes” is now in effect and many who opposed the treaty thought this could spread in Europe. How do you ban someone from using the Internet when it's on smartphone, tablet PCs, vehicles and even on some white goods like fridge?
Chinese counterfeiters must be tickled. The governments that came up with this treaty had a good idea but, naturally, they allowed companies to display blatant self interest that made it clear it wasn't about protecting the consumer or assuring the safety of the supply chain.
As internet pervades our daily lives with all things( having some kind of an intelligence) getting connected world over we cannot keep it unrestrained in the name of digital freedom. Individual governments must exercise their right in censoring web publishing, web based e commerce and all such things to discourage illegal trades, counterfeiting and piracy.
Sooner or later all governments will understand and comply.
Good points, Bolaji. Self-interest over consumers…shocking. Or possibly private enterprises don't trust government?
Prabhakar, Many people will question your trust in government to “do the right thing always,” while others would say we have to be vigilant to ensure the government does not curb our rights. The two sides have to strike a balance here.
Bolaji,
“How do you ban someone from using the Internet when it's on smartphone, tablet PCs, vehicles and even on some white goods like fridge?”
It's quite difficult. But also, should someone really be banned from using the Internet?
-Susan
I wouldn't suggest banning anyone from using the internet but there's a law like that already in place in France. Somebody there believes it's the right thing to do. While France may be the first Western nation to publicly have a law like this, it's not the only one with such a policy.
The internet is not a right in many other countries and even in other Western nations (the U.S., for instance) judges have been known to ban hackers from access to computers for a fixed period. In essence, that would translate into a ban on using the Internet — of course, the internet can be accessed nowadays through a tablets/smartphones/gaming device/TV/wrist watch . . name it!