NEWS AND PRESS RELEASES
Widget enables portable product search
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Startup SupplyFrame (Pasadena, Calif.) is making a new software widget called GoPart available that lets engineers and purchasing agents check detailed information of a component by simply highlighting and clicking on a part number in any application. Distributor Avnet Electronics Marketing is a partner in rolling out the new software that taps into the two companies' databases, consisting of data on 2.5 million parts.
SupplyFrame has been operating for several months a Web site for searching its database of one million electronic components. It is working with four top chipmakers, including Texas Instruments, to get live XML feeds of their latest products. Founded in 2003, SupplyFrame estimates more than $1 billion in electronic components change hands daily, and more than 15 million different technical components are in use.
The new software can be downloaded and used by any Windows XP system to bring a basic component search capability to any word processing, spreadsheet, EDA or resource planning application. When a user highlights a part number and clicks on it, the software generates a background search that, if successful, returns specs, price and availability information in a pop-up window.
"Engineers today spend an extraordinary amount of time searching for product information that we want to bring directly to them," said Steve Flagg, chief executive of SupplyFrame. "The basic concept is this is a portable search module that goes with you in your application," he added.
Versions of the software for Linux and Macintosh computers are in the works, though no precise launch dates have been planned.
Avnet Electronics Marketing, a division of Avnet Inc. (Phoenix), serves OEMs and manufacturing houses. The group will supply the module to Avnet's 90,000 existing customer and has a one-year exclusive deal with SupplyFrame.
The Web search company is exploring partnerships with media and other companies to provide users with analysis on components. It also hopes to generate content from engineers sharing their experiences with parts.
The company conducted a month-long trial with 50 engineers before releasing GoPart.