Please direct your media and public relations inquiries to: mediarelations@cdw.com 800-800-4CDW On-site Childcare and Fitness Center Helps CDW Coworkers Tip the Scales Toward Better Work-Life Balance Employer among elite few to offer access to on-site, subsidized child care and fitness center VERNON HILLS, Ill. - October 12, 1999 - Finding a healthy balance between work and personal life will become a lot easier for the coworkers of CDW Computer Centers Inc. (Nasdaq: CDWC), the country's leading direct solutions provider of brand name computer products. To address the challenges facing employees today, the company is launching its latest work-life initiative in October, as it opens a new 33,000-square foot childcare and fitness center at its VERNON HILLS, Ill., headquarters. The new center, dubbed CDW@Play, reflects a nationwide trend toward more family-friendly workplaces. But CDW coworkers are more fortunate than most-only 12 percent of the nation's employed with children under 6 have access to childcare centers run or sponsored by their employers at or near their workplaces, according to the Families and Work Institute. "I believe that if you don't put your coworkers first, you are missing the mark," said Michael Krasny, CEO of the 15-year-old company. "We knew from the beginning that our 'coworkers-first' philosophy would create the kind of culture that fosters respect and satisfaction. And, because coworkers know they are valued, they treat all of our customers as if they were our only customer. Our management team is always looking at new ways to keep up the excitement, inspiration and rewards, and opening CDW@Play is our way of showing appreciation for the people who make CDW successful-our coworkers." Krasny and the CDW management team have added the new childcare and fitness center to help coworkers balance work and personal life and increase job satisfaction in an industry known for its fast pace. In fact, long-time CDW coworker Connie Rolnik says she personally expects to achieve a better balance of work and family life once she starts taking her 1-year-old son Trent to the on-site childcare center. "It's comforting to know that Trent will be only a few steps away," Rolnik said. "More than that, the time I save by having him here at CDW, I will get to spend with him. I plan on seeing him for lunches and playtime. And, I won't worry about the commute to pick him up, especially on snowy days." CDW@Play will provide subsidized child care for CDW coworkers with room for 164 children from infants to kindergartners. The childcare center will be managed by Bright Horizons Family Solutions, the nation's leading provider of employer-sponsored child care, early education and work/life consulting services. After the operation is up and running, consideration will be given to opening the childcare center to the public. In addition, the center gives CDW coworkers a full-service fitness center, managed by Tennis Corporation of America (TCA), proven leaders in club management. Many companies have caught on to the fitness craze, with 43 percent of U.S. work sites offering exercise or physical fitness activities, according to the Association of Worksite Health Promotion. But CDW outperforms most of corporate America by offering an employee fitness facility complete with exercise room, basketball, racquetball and volleyball courts, a weight room, an aerobics program and organized sports leagues and fitness programs. The amenities at CDW@Play, along with the company's on-site ATM, dry cleaning and subsidized cafeteria, are evidence of CDW's unusual coworkers-first philosophy, which earned the company a place on the prestigious list of the "100 Best Companies to Work for in America," as reported in FORTUNE® magazine. Some additional CDW family-friendly benefits include an adoption assistance program, educational assistance program and "Mom's Corner," a private room for nursing mothers. CDW even offers its coworkers free bagels, sweet rolls and fruit twice a week and special "dinners to go" for after work hours to recognize the hard-working team that has brought the company its continued success, as evidenced by its recent 46 percent sales growth in the second quarter of 1999. 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. Additional information can be found by visiting CDW.com.