Please direct your media and public relations inquiries to: mediarelations@cdw.com 800-800-4CDW Extranets, Innovation Propel CDW to No. 16 on the InformationWeek E-Business 100 VERNON HILLS, Ill. - December 17, 1999 - The next evolution of e-commerce has already begun and it's called e-business. At the forefront of this evolution is CDW Computer Centers, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDWC), the country's leading direct solutions provider of brand name computer products, which placed No. 16 on InformationWeek's E-Business 100. This week's issue of the high-profile trade publication includes its first-ever ranking of the 100 most innovative electronic businesses. "It's our belief that we must go beyond online transactions and employ an e-business strategy that offers a high value for customers," said Jim Shanks, CIO at CDW. "We make our customers' jobs easier by giving them support and tools on CDW.com." CDW ranked high on the InformationWeek list because of its many e-business initiatives, including its customized business sites, CDW@work, along with its real-time integration between CDW.com and back-office systems. As an example, InformationWeek points to CDW's proprietary systems that update product information every 10 minutes. "The personal touch does not have to be lost on the Internet. With CDW@work, we have found a way to personalize our Web site for each business customer and extend our one-one-one customer relationships," Shanks said. "In fact, each site includes account manager and support team pictures and real time availability." In selecting the top 100 companies, Hurwitz Group and InformationWeek found that extranets are one of the strongest trends, with a majority of the E-Business 100 operating electronic supply chains, including customers and suppliers. CDW has more than 26,000 sites in active use. Through these sites, CDW's commercial customers are leveraging the efficiencies of their CDW@work extranets to research and purchase technology solutions, track up to five years of order history, specify configured systems, and streamline billing procedures. "The ultimate goal of e-business is to seamlessly integrate a company's interaction with customers, employees and partners," said Fern Halper, director of Hurwitz Group's e-Business Applications practice. "It's a huge transformation, involving almost every area of the organization. This list is a chance to recognize those companies who have made significant progress in one or more of these areas."