February 26, 2004

CDW Announces IDC White Paper Offering Best Practices for I.T. Purchasing Decisions

I purchase from CDW a lot and they are a very good company - customer service and delivery of products.

CDW , a leading provider of technology products and services for business, government and education, today announced a new IDC white paper, Choosing the Right Source to Meet Your Technology Needs, with analysis on how corporate decision makers purchase information technology. Written by analysts from IDC, a leading technology industry research firm, the white paper offers best practices for businesses looking to choose a corporate I.T. supplier.

IDC analyst Roger L. Kay will present IDC's findings in detail in a live webinar today at 3 p.m. Eastern Time (2 p.m. Central, 1 p.m. Mountain, 12 p.m. Pacific). Visit CDW.com/IDC to register for the webinar, which will be archived for later viewing approximately four hours after broadcast.

The white paper is based on a survey of 200 U.S. businesses of varying size. As an aid for customers considering different suppliers, the IDC team of authors -- Kay, along with analysts Weili Su and Janet Waxman -- developed a six-point checklist. They recommend that customers choose an I.T. supplier that:

-- provides best-in-class products from multiple manufacturers;
-- offers good value, not just lower prices;
-- is reputable and financially stable;
-- can deliver consistently;
-- provides account management and technical resources to all customers,
not just the largest ones;
-- is easy to do business with.

"Businesses know they must chose their I.T. supplier with care, yet the multitude of suppliers and their associated offerings can make this selection process a daunting one," said Kay, vice president of client computing of IDC. "This research helps businesses make this choice wisely by giving them an idea of what to look for in an I.T. supplier."

"With the publication of this white paper, IDC has provided an important service to business customers looking for guidance for the right IT solutions," said John A. Edwardson, chairman and chief executive officer of CDW, which sponsored the white paper. "At CDW, we have built our business by adhering to the principles affirmed by IDC's research. We believe it has paid off not just in terms of growth, but in loyalty and long-term relationships with our customers."

IDC's research examined the importance businesses place on various characteristics of I.T. providers. "Quality of products" ranked highest, followed by "variety of products," "financial stability," "breadth of services," "supplier reputation," and "national coverage."

IDC analysts also asked businesses how they rate the importance of services offered by I.T. providers. "Competitive pricing" came in first, followed in order by "warranties," "rapid delivery," "knowledgeable account managers," "responsiveness," "technical specialists," and "lowest pricing."

Among their conclusions, the IDC research team also found that customers prefer to engage with a limited number of providers whom they trust to provide the best solution to meet their business needs. IDC recommends that customers rely on a trusted supplier that can navigate vendor and technology choices and provide sound advice.

The IDC white paper is available at http://www.CDW.com/whitepapers

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