Future has been plowing considerable resources into its Advanced Engineering Program (AEP), an initiative that combines technical marketing, field application engineering and system design expertise, focusing on what the company describes as "door-opening technologies" such as processors and programmable logic, analog and power, and lighting and optoelectronics. Company executives said AEP was expected to generate $1 billion in registered billings--component sales that are directly tied to the distributor's design-in activity--by the end of 2008.

Future distributes semiconductors and passive, interconnect and electromechanical components from 167 locations in 39 countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Last year, it also inked deals with AME Inc. and Future Technology Devices International Ltd. (FTDI). Future will support the North American and European distribution of AME's integrated analog semiconductor products. Likewise, FTDI will leverage Future's reach in North and South America for its full range of legacy serial-to-USB ICs and its Vinculum embedded USB host microcontroller.

In addition to its traditional distribution services, Future assists customers with automated materials acquisition and handling, inventory replenishment, kitting and programming.