OREANDA-NEWS. Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), a leading global technology distributor, today announced that it will launch its new MakerSource.ioTM online resource directory at the N.Y. World Maker Faire in the New York Hall of Science, Corona, N.Y., Oct. 1-2, 2016. MakerSource.io, powered by Avnet, provides individuals and startups with access to a comprehensive ecosystem of the strategic and tactical resources needed to turn a pioneering new product vision into a marketable reality. A video introduction to the new site can be viewed here.

More than a static directory, MakerSource offers a vibrant community for idea exchange, networking and thought leadership. MakerSource provides innovators, service providers, technical experts and other stakeholders with a central place to seek as well as offer all the support required at each stage of the product lifecycle, including funding, engineering, traditional and additive manufacturing, marketing, supply chain management and even website development.

“Every day, we at Avnet work with companies big and small to help design, build and ship new technology products all over the world. We see how challenging it can be for even the most established organizations to successfully bring new products to market. These obstacles can be daunting for makers or even accomplished entrepreneurs,” said Dayna Badhorn, vice president, strategic global planning, Avnet Electronics Marketing. “With MakerSource, our goal is to leverage Avnet’s unique position in the middle of the technology supply chain and the wealth of experience and connections we have amassed to help guide these individuals who have amazing vision and creative drive, but may lack the resources or business experience necessary to bring those ideas to life.”

“Having been a part of several technology startups, I understand how exciting it is to build something out of nothing, but I also know how costly and frustrating the process can be,” said Adam Benzion, co-founder and CEO, Hackster.io. “A comprehensive resource like MakerSource.io can not only save makers and technology startups a great deal of time, but also mitigate many of the risks that can quickly derail a new product development effort.”

Avnet will also host free, 45-minute, hands-on workshops at the company’s Maker Faire booth in Zone 3. The “Adding Connected ‘Things’ to IBM Watson™” demonstrations will explore how to accelerate development of the Internet of Things (IoT) solutions built on the IBM Watson IoT Platform using Avnet’s BCM4343W IoT Starter Kit. Technical experts from MakerSource.io, Avnet, IBM and Hackster.io will guide attendees through the process of building a project that leverages the IBM Watson IoT Platform to connect to the Internet, effectively gather information, and securely manage and analyze data.