Please direct your media and public relations inquiries to: mediarelations@cdw.com 800-800-4CDW CDW in Top Five on Catalog Age 100 List VERNON HILLS, Ill. August 7, 2000 - CDW Computer Centers, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDWC), the country's direct solutions provider of brand name computing technology, jumped to the No. 5 position on Catalog Age's list of the Top 100 national and worldwide direct marketing and catalog companies. Up from No. 7 in last year's ranking, CDW's success on the list is based upon the strength of the company's 1999 sales figures. The list includes both business and consumer focused direct marketers. The business-to-business sector was highlighted by Catalog Age as having an impressive 27 percent growth rate. As a leader in the B-to-B category, CDW posted sales of $2.6 billion in 1999 and derives 96 percent of its sales from business, government and educational institutional customers. After premiering on the first Catalog Age 100 in 1993, CDW has steadily climbed the ranks of direct marketers. In her column in the August 2000 issue of Catalog Age, editor-in-chief Sherry Chiger correlated a company's success and longevity with their ability to use new technologies and innovations while still "providing the same stellar offerings and service that enabled them to thrive in the first place." One of a very few companies that have remained on the list since its inception, CDW has evolved into the country's Direct Solutions Provider™, providing complete technology solutions and service that makes its customers' day just a little easier. Leveraging the newest E-commerce technology with its Web site, CDW.com, and personalized CDW@work extranets has allowed the company to innovate in the area of customer service while remaining true to the personalized service that has marked its rise in the industry. Additionally, CDW was tagged by the publication as one of five companies who showed the largest increase in net sales. "We are constantly seeking ways to evolve our business model," said Greg Zeman, president of CDW. "We have found a philosophy that is flexible enough to encourage innovation while maintaining the core values of our business. CDW's net sales have continually increased without acquisitions or any loss of our business focus. We view our consistent sales growth and rate of repeat purchasers as indicators that we are on the right path." The Catalog Age 100 was based upon sales for the year ended December 31, 1999. In that period CDW's net sales equaled $2.6 billion, an increase of 48 percent over 1998. CDW's growth has accelerated with net sales for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2000 increasing by 56 percent to $3.2 billion. About CDW 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.