Please direct your media and public relations inquiries to: mediarelations@cdw.com 800-800-4CDW CDW Launches "FREDs" For IT Professionals Inspired By New Branding Campaign, Promotion Seeks Best On-the-Job Stories From Busy IT Pros VERNON HILLS, Ill. May 29, 2001 - CDW Computer Centers Inc. (Nasdaq: CDWC), a leading direct solutions provider of technology products and services, has created a new contest for IT professionals. The "FRED Story" contest is based on the enthusiastic customer feedback the company has received from its recent empathy-themed branding campaign. Consistent with the campaign, the FREDs pay tribute to the nation's busy IT professionals who, in addition to being seen as solvers of all business issues through technology, are charged with keeping the technology running, regardless of equipment crashes, power failures, office mishaps or misuse of technology by novice users. "We found that our customers have been able to identify with the character 'Fred' so much, we decided to broaden the campaign by letting them tell their own personal stories to the world, " Joe Kremer, vice president of marketing, CDW, said. "CDW understands that the job of running IT can be the toughest and most thankless one in any company, and we created 'Fred' and the empathy campaign to reflect that." CDW's TV spots feature humorous scenes with a fictional, unseen IT professional named "Fred," who is bombarded with unreasonable requests and endless problems from coworkers who mean no harm but often need the most basic of technological assistance. For the FREDs, CDW is inviting IT professionals to submit their most memorable on-the-job challenge, most over-the-top user request or any other story that conveys their own personal "Fred-like" experience. Since the ads began airing on Feb. 19, countless CDW customers have called and e-mailed the company to express their appreciation and request copies of the commercial spots. "I bust a gut every time I see them. And then I sob softly into my pillow," said one IT professional from Colorado. An IT professional from Michigan wrote to CDW and said, "I think every company can relate to (the commercials). It hits home." A call for FREDs entries currently is being sent to CDW customers nationwide, along with a mailing of a collector's edition CD-ROM containing the company's humorous TV commercials, a director's cut of the advertisement, plus an address from new CEO John Edwardson. CDW will select the top five FRED stories on October 1, 2001, and the winners will receive a trip to Las Vegas (airfare and hotel accommodations) for Fall COMDEX, November 12 - 16, 2001. IT professionals can obtain complete details on the FRED awards and submit their stories to CDW at www.CDW.com/fred. All entries must be received by July 31, 2001. About CDW Computer Centers, Inc. CDW® (Nasdaq: CDWC - news), ranked No. 435 on the FORTUNE 500, offers complete, customized technology solutions for businesses, government agencies and educational institutions nationwide. CDW is a leading source of technology products and services from companies such as Cisco, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Sony, Toshiba and other top name brands. CDW was founded in 1984 as a home-based business and today employs more than 2,700 coworkers whose efforts generated net sales of $3.8 billion in 2000. CDW's direct model offers one-on-one relationships with highly trained account managers; purchasing via telephone, the award-winning www.cdw.com Web site, and customized CDW@work(TM) extranets; custom configured solutions and same day shipping; flexible financing solutions; and, telephone and online technical support with its factory-trained and A+ certified technicians. Additional information can be found by visiting http://www.cdw.com. For more information About CDW: Visit CDW on the Internet at http://www.cdw.com Contact CDW Investor Relations via the Internet at investorrelations@cdw.com Or by telephone at 847.419.8234