Press Release - February 25, 2004 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Gets Big Results From CDW•G Small Business Consortium CDW•G Helps Agency Meet Government Buying Requirements Through Use of SMBs   Vernon Hills, Ill. - February 25, 2004 - CDW Government, Inc. (CDW•G), a wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation (Nasdaq: CDWC), today announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was the first purchaser through the CDW•G Small Business Consortium and has been using it successfully for more than half a year to purchase technology and services from small and disadvantaged businesses. CDW•G's innovative Small Business Consortium introduces small businesses to local, state and federal government agencies and educational institutions that have Information Technology (IT) needs. The program enables small and disadvantaged businesses to compete effectively for government and education contracts. At the same time, it ensures government agencies and educational institutions that they are getting competitively priced technology products and IT services, as well as superior customer support. The CDC, which relies on technology in its effort to combat disease and fight bioterrorism, has made more than 20 purchases worth an estimated $350,000 through CDW•G's small business partners since the consortium launched in July 2003. The advantages of the consortium are two-fold: Small IT consulting firms – with the backing of CDW•G's e-commerce, service and distribution capabilities – can more effectively compete for IT contracts. When small businesses win contracts, they work directly with government and education customers but use CDW•G to configure and deliver the technology that these customers need. Secondly, government agencies can award contracts to small businesses with confidence, knowing these companies have the resources of CDW•G behind them. "The CDC's success demonstrates the power and ongoing potential of the CDW•G Small Business Consortium," said CDW•G president Jim Shanks. "It's a winning proposition for everyone. On the one hand, the federal government is assured that it is getting the right technology and specialized products it needs. On the other hand, small companies are getting business they otherwise might not have gotten. And as a trusted IT advisor, CDW•G is the matchmaker and technology supplier helping both sides succeed." CDW•G created the Small Business Consortium to serve federal government agencies but, because of high demand, the company expanded the program last fall to serve state and local government and education customers in seven states: California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Texas and Washington. CDW•G plans to expand into more states but is growing the program gradually to ensure that government and education customers continue to receive quality customer service. CDW•G, which initially partnered with 12 small and disadvantaged businesses in the Small Business Consortium, continues to recruit qualified companies to join. "As we expand the Small Business Consortium, we will maintain superior customer service and continue to offer the best prices to our government and education customers," Shanks said. "And at the same time, we will ensure the program is profitable to us and our small business partners." How the Small Business Consortium Works The Small Business Act requires that federal agencies award 23 percent of prime contracts to small businesses. When a government agency or educational institution places a request for proposal for technology products, CDW•G alerts its small business partners, who make bids to CDW•G for the contract. CDW•G chooses the lowest bid and sends it back to the government or education customer. If a consortium member is awarded the contract, it works directly with the government and uses CDW•G to configure and deliver the technology. Government and education customers also can tap into many CDW•G value-added offerings, such as custom PC configuration, which includes software installation at the CDW•G distribution center; asset-tagging services to help monitor inventory; and CDW•G's online "Software License Tracker," which helps monitor the use and expiration of software licenses. About CDW•G A wholly-owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation (Nasdaq: CDWC), CDW•G addresses the unique needs of the government and education markets with brand-name technology products and services. CDW•G is a leading source of technology products and services from top name brands such as APC, Apple, Cisco, HP, IBM, Microsoft, Sony, Symantec, Toshiba and ViewSonic. For more information about CDW•G's product offerings, procurement options, service and solutions, call 1-800-863-4239 or visit the CDW•G Web site at CDWG.com. About CDW CDW® (Nasdaq: CDWC), ranked No. 381 on the FORTUNE 500, is a leading provider of technology solutions for business, government and education. CDW is a principal source of technology products and services including top name brands such as APC, Apple, Cisco, HP, IBM, Microsoft, Sony, Symantec, Toshiba and ViewSonic. CDW distributes contracts to end users for customized and standardized on-site services supplied directly by providers such as HP Services and Unisys and for training programs provided by firms such as KnowledgeNet and Productivity Point International. CDW was founded in 1984 as a home-based business and today employs more than 3,600 coworkers. In 2003, the Company's coworkers generated sales of $4.7 billion. CDW's direct model offers one-on-one relationships with knowledgeable account managers; purchasing by telephone, fax, the Company's award-winning CDW.com Web site or customized CDW@work™ extranets, CDWG.com Web site and Macwarehouse.com Web site; custom configured solutions and same day shipping; and pre- and post-sales technical support, with more than 100 factory-trained and A+ certified technicians on staff. Additional information can be found by visiting CDW.com.