Please direct your media and public relations inquiries to: mediarelations@cdw.com 800-800-4CDW CDW Ranks on Best Places to Work List for Fifth Straight Year VERNON HILLS, Ill. - January 7, 2003 - FORTUNE Magazine ranked CDW (Nasdaq: CDWC) as one of "The 100 Best Companies to Work For" for 2002. This is the fifth consecutive year that CDW, a provider of technology products and services, has received this honor. Of the FORTUNE 500 companies on the list, CDW ranks highest at No. 13. CDW is one of a select group of companies to place on the list for five years in a row, including Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, FedEx Corporation and Nordstrom. CDW is also the highest-ranking Illinois company on the list and one of only three technology companies among the Top 15. "Our corporate culture is our secret ingredient for business success, especially in this tough economy," said John A. Edwardson, CDW chairman and chief executive officer. "To us, culture is more than just a set of fun perks. It's based on mutual respect and mutual reward. We give our coworkers the tools they need to succeed, and when they do succeed, we celebrate. Happy coworkers lead to happy customers, and that's what our business is all about." CDW's unique approach to serving the customer has led to the company's ongoing financial growth. The company is forecasting record sales and earnings for 2002. As part of sharing in the company's success, all coworkers receive stock options, and more than 80 percent of coworkers receive bonuses tied to specified performance measures. CDW awards tenured coworkers with vacation trips when sales goals are met. In addition, the company offers tuition reimbursement, a charitable donation match program and more. In addition to these programs, CDW rewards coworkers with fun, timesaving and practical benefits on the job. These options include an on-site day care and fitness center, dry cleaning pickup and delivery, an employee assistance program, and free bagels and donuts twice a week. CDW's commitment to its coworkers is also evident through a multi-disciplinary training program called CDW University (CDWU). The five colleges within CDWU offer courses for coworkers in all departments – everything from leadership, sales and technical training to interpersonal and professional development skills. FORTUNE's "100 Best Companies to Work for in America" rankings will be published in the magazine's January 20, 2003 issue. Robert Levering and Milton Moskowitz of The Great Place to Work Institute in San Francisco considered more than 1,000 companies for the list this year. The rankings are based on extensive research and analysis, with two-thirds of a company's score based on results of random polling of employees. More than 40,713 employees from 269 companies participated in the survey this year, with nearly half of those employees providing additional written responses. In addition, companies' responses to a questionnaire covering HR policies and workplace culture were also considered. About CDW CDW® (Nasdaq: CDWC), ranked No. 414 on the Fortune 500, is a leading provider of technology solutions for businesses, government agencies and educational institutions nationwide. CDW is a principal source of technology products and services including top name brands such as Cisco, Compaq, Computer Associates, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and Toshiba. 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 2,800 coworkers whose efforts generated net sales of nearly $4 billion in 2001. CDW's direct model offers one-on-one relationships with knowledgeable account managers; purchasing by telephone, fax, the company's award-winning www.cdw.com Web site or customized CDW@work™ extranets; custom configured solutions and same day shipping; flexible financing solutions; and pre- and post-sales technical support, with more than 100 factory-trained and A+ certified technicians on staff.