Please direct your media and public relations inquiries to: mediarelations@cdw.com 800-800-4CDW CDW's Average Daily Sales Increase 26 Percent In August 2004 VERNON HILLS, Ill. - September 14, 2004 - VERNON HILLS, Ill. - September 14, 2004 - CDW Corporation (NASDAQ: CDWC), a leading provider of technology products and services to business, government and education, today announced average daily sales for August 2004 were $23.0 million, an increase of 26 percent compared to average daily sales of $18.3 million for August 2003. Total sales for August 2004 were $507 million based on 22 billing days. Total sales for August 2003 were $383 million based on 21 billing days. Double-digit growth was generated by both the corporate and public sector segments in August 2004. In addition, double-digit unit volume growth was achieved in most product categories. Desktop CPUs, server CPUs, software, data storage and multi-media unit volumes increased more than 30 percent for the month on a year-over-year basis. "August sales were particularly strong in our corporate segment. Within our public sector segment, strength in state and local government and education channels was partially offset by weakness in the federal government channel. This was primarily a result of buying indecision among our Department of Defense customers, due to their uncertainty regarding available fiscal year-end discretionary budget dollars, which may be affected by other spending priorities," said John A. Edwardson, chairman and chief executive officer. "Overall demand has remained steady, especially with our small and medium-sized business customers. We will continue to focus on our goals of gaining market share and growing profitably." The Company plans to announce September 2004 sales and third quarter 2004 earnings on Tuesday, October 19, 2004, before the market opens. September 2003 had 21 billing days and September 2004 will also have 21 billing days. Forward Looking Statement Any forward-looking statements contained in this release are based on the Company's beliefs and expectations as of the date of this release and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties which may have a significant impact on the Company's business, operating results or financial condition. Should any risk or uncertainty materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results or outcomes may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Factors affecting the Company's business and prospects are discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. About CDW CDW® (Nasdaq: CDWC), ranked No. 376 on the FORTUNE 500, is a leading provider of technology products and services for business, government and education. CDW is a principal source of technology from 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 approximately 3,700 coworkers. In 2003, the company generated net sales of approximately $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, 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.