Please direct your media and public relations inquiries to: mediarelations@cdw.com 800-800-4CDW U.S. AIR FORCE AWARDS CONTRACT TO CDW-G Blanket Purchase Agreement Provides Vehicle for Purchase of IT Products VERNON HILLS, Ill. - August 6, 1999 - CDW-Government, Inc. (CDW-G) today announced that the U.S. Air Force has awarded the company a contract for the procurement of information technology (IT) products. Under the terms of the blanket purchase agreement (BPA), all Air Force bases worldwide, as well as any Department of Defense (DoD) organization will be able to make purchases from the contract. The term of the contract is two years. The contract, Information Technology Tools (IT2), was signed on July 23, 1999. The BPA enables U.S. Air Force and DoD procurement personnel to purchase leading brand name systems and products from manufacturers such as Compaq, Hewlett-Packard and Toshiba. "CDW-G looks forward to servicing the U.S. Air Force and DoD with our proven business practices," stated Larry Kirsch, CDW-G senior vice president. "The award of the IT2 BPA solidifies CDW-G's position in the federal marketplace by recognizing our personalized service, electronic commerce and efficient operations as the preferred method of doing business." The U.S. Air Force will utilize a variety of services offered by CDW-G including personal account managers and the company's customized extranet program, CDWG@work. Both services were instrumental in the award of the BPA. "The U.S. Air Force has recognized the level of expertise and personalized attention that our account managers offer, along with the strength of our e-commerce capabilities which help streamline operations and procurement functions, thereby saving time and money for the U.S. Air Force and DoD," said Kirsch. Individual procurement personnel at U.S. Air Force installations worldwide will have personal extranet sites, giving procurement personnel the ability to select from approved products and pricing at the contract pricing level, and provide access based on purchasing authority. CDW-G@work's technology also gives the U.S. Air Force the ability to track both telephone and online purchases, verify shipping status, access order history and review purchasing history. An automated return authorization feature eliminates the paperwork and confusion associated with the return process. Additionally, the U.S. Air Force will have access to CDWG.com's signature features, designed to reduce the time involved in comparative shopping, ranging from an advanced search engine to a unique product comparison function for the selected products. About CDW-G A wholly-owned subsidiary of CDW Computer Centers, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDWC), CDW-G was formed in September 1998 to address the unique needs of customers in the government and education markets and signals CDW's long-term commitment to providing specialized service to these markets. Using the model pioneered by CDW, CDW-G combines advanced technology and personalized service to provide government and education customers with direct computing solutions. CDW-G offers the full-range of government procurement vehicles, including GSA Schedule, open-market purchases, blanket purchase agreements and other formal bid contracts. Through customized extranet sites, customers are able to access purchase histories, verify order status and obtain product pricing. For more information About CDW-G's product offerings, service and solutions, call 1-800-863-4239 or visit the CDW-G Web site at www.cdwg.com. About CDW CDW® (NASDAQ: CDWC) is the country's leading direct solutions provider, offering complete, customized computing solutions for business and consumers nationwide. With competitive prices on a selection of thousands of brand name computer products, CDW is the No. 1 authorized direct source of Compaq, Computer Associates, IBM, Microsoft, Toshiba and other top name brands. Celebrating its 15th anniversary year, CDW was founded in 1984 as a one-man, home-based business and today employs more than 1,700 coworkers whose efforts generated net sales of $2.1 billion for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 1999. CDW's pioneering direct model offers personalized expertise through one-on-one relationships with highly-trained, knowledgeable account managers; telephone and online purchasing; custom configured solutions; customized financing solutions; next day shipping; and lifetime phone and online technical support, with more than 70 factory-trained and A+ certified technicians on staff. For more information About CDW's products and services, call 800-797-4239 or visit the award-winning e-commerce Web site at www.cdw.com. For media inquiries or general company information, please call CDW's media relations at 888-CDW-7040. Additional information can be found by visiting CDW.com.