Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW), a Fortune 500 leading technology solutions and engineering provider, and Freelancer.com (ASX:FLN), the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace by number of users, today announced the launch of ArrowPlus powered by Freelancer.com.
The new platform allows Fortune 500 companies and innovative technology creators to design and build hardware products through access to over half a million skilled electronic and electrical engineers. ArrowPlus powered by Freelancer will transform the way products will be designed, manufactured and delivered to market. On-demand engineering from ArrowPlus and Freelancer will catalyze a step change in research and development, cutting times from years to months through access to a global network of highly diverse technical skills and reduce cost to market. Now next year’s “new products” for CES Las Vegas are just a click away.
Arrow Electronics guides innovation for over 200,000 leading technology manufacturers and service providers. With 2018 sales of $30 billion ranking #113 in the 2018 Fortune 500, Arrow brings to the collaboration a large volume of high quality, high value projects, from established companies with a real demand for innovation and talent. Arrow has built a proprietary Certified Engineering network which has been a key differentiator in helping its customers win with technology. This new platform is designed to solve sophisticated technology problems spanning consumer electronics, transportation, healthcare, industrial, Internet of Things (IoT), telecommunications, biomedical, cloud security, firmware, hardware, and connected products in every industry.
Freelancer.com is the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace with more than 32 million users around the world and over 15 million jobs posted in over 1,350 skill areas. Freelancer.com is used by companies from startups to global giants. Freelancer.com brings to the collaboration the platform and the world’s best expertise in running global online services marketplaces, allowing Arrow to transform its services business into a dynamic, connected talent cloud.
Together, the exclusive strategic alliance is a category definer for how hardware products are designed and electronics & electrical engineering services are delivered.
Businesses that need technology help from concept to scale can leverage ArrowPlus powered by Freelancer to find highly qualified experts, utilize Arrow technology concierge services that ensure project success, and go to market faster and more cost effectively.
The full lifecycle of hardware product development can be accomplished through ArrowPlus powered by Freelancer including, but not limited to:
● Ideation & prototyping
● Analog & digital design
● Printed circuit board design
● Bill of Materials (BOM) part selection
● Custom requirements to product delivery
● Component consolidation and cost reduction
● Redesign for smaller size
● Documentation & translation
● Development of firmware, drivers and middleware
● Real-time embedded software development
● Integrated circuit design
● Manufacturing
“This breakthrough strategic alliance with Arrow Electronics represents the first launch of Freelancer Enterprise. We are absolutely delighted that Arrow chose to team with Freelancer.com on this landmark initiative,” said Freelancer.com CEO and Chairman Matt Barrie.
“Freelancer.com is the number-one marketplace for talent and skilled workers. We have seen increasing demand to solve difficult and complex technology problems from larger organizations. For example, NASA and the United States Department of Energy are using Freelancer.com to crowdsource technology solutions. We are excited to form an exclusive alliance with the most trusted guide in technology creation, Arrow Electronics, to break down barriers for larger companies with more complex needs to utilize our platform to accelerate technology.”
“ArrowPlus brings the serious know-how of Arrow’s 80 years of engineering, tools, technology, and services into the platform economy with Freelancer. Arrow has become one of the world’s largest technology solutions companies in the last five years and beyond our own engineering we have built a proprietary network of certified 3rd party Arrow Certified engineering partners. Our Arrow Certified Engineering network has worked with marquee Fortune 500 clients to make products and technology.” said Arrow’s Chief Digital Officer Matt Anderson “We anticipate in the future that up to 30% of R&D spend could leverage a model where Arrow provides a technical concierge and project management to a vast network of high-end engineering talent. The products and services Arrow has helped design are helping people every day from paraplegic veterans regaining their sense of freedom and independence to mothers in undeveloped regions of the world giving birth more safely. If you are a company that wants to build a product, there is no better way to get started than with Arrow and Freelancer”.
