Expected Job Reductions in IT Begin to Taper Off

Improving News on IT Staffing Underscores Gradual Signs of Recovery
VERNON HILLS, Ill.--(Business Wire)--
In the midst of a slowly developing trend toward recovery in the information
technology arena, data from the latest CDW IT Monitor indicates the first
glimmer of good news about hiring. While industry sentiment falls short of
promising new hires, the number of large companies planning on reducing IT staff
continues to fall rapidly.

According to the August CDW IT Monitor, only 10 percent of large companies say
they may be reducing IT staff in the next six months, down from 17 percent in
February. In addition, the number of medium-size businesses planning to reduce
staff fell to seven percent, down from nine percent in April. For the first time
since December 2008, the overall IT Monitor score, an indicator of the
direction, momentum and mindset of the U.S. IT industry, climbed one point
registering a reading of 70.

"The fact that the largest employers are decreasing planned job cuts in IT is an
encouraging sign in the marketplace as we continue to make small steps toward
recovery," said Mark Gambill, the company`s executive responsible for market
insights. "While we`re not there yet, this is a positive step that paves the way
for future hiring and creates a more stable environment across the industry."

The tapering of IT job reductions is also consistent with higher expectations of
improved performance. According to the IT Monitor, 63 percent of large
businesses expect better performance in the next six months compared to 43
percent in February. Similarly, 56 percent of medium-size businesses and 53
percent of small businesses also anticipate better performance in the next six
months. Both sectors registered 47 percent in February.

Expect better performance in next six months February 09 April 09 June 09 August 09
Large Businesses (1,000+ employees) 43% 50% 61% 63%
Medium-Size Businesses (100-999 employees) 47% 53% 60% 56%
Small Businesses (1-99 employees) 47% 48% 52% 53%

"Six months ago was a low point across a variety of sectors, and it`s
encouraging to now see some of that negative outlook begin to turn around," said
Gambill. "The stabilization we`ve seen in the last two IT Monitor readings
appears to be gradually evolving into small signs of recovery."

The CDW IT Monitor is based on an online survey of at least 1,000 IT decision
makers from businesses of all sizes and all sectors of government. The overall
IT Monitor score is composed of two sub-indices - the IT Growth Monitor, which
measures future IT expectations, and the IT Value Monitor, which measures the
value of IT in achieving organizational objectives. For more information about
the mindset of IT decision makers please visit www.cdwitmonitor.com.

About the CDW IT Monitor

The CDW IT Monitor was created by CDW Corporation, and research and analysis is
conducted by independent polling firm Richard Day Research of Evanston, Ill.
Decision makers are invited from two large national panels of IT decision makers
built and maintained by E-Rewards and Survey Sampling International. Data
reported in this release are based on a survey of 1,048 IT decision makers
conducted between July 16 and July 23, 2009.

At the center of the CDW ITMonitor is an index number, which registered an
initial benchmark reading of 69 in December 2007. Results are calculated on a
scale of 0-100, with 100 indicating the highest level of confidence. Future
readings of the CDW IT Monitor will continue to yield comparisons to previous
scores, allowing for an interpretation of the direction of sentiment in the IT
marketplace. The next CDW IT Monitor will be released in October 2009.

Data are weighted to ensure that CDW IT Monitor calculations closely represent
the overall population of corporate and government employers in terms of size,
based on the number of employees. Corporate data are weighted according to U.S.
Economic Census data, and government data are weighted according to data from
the U.S. Census Bureau`s annual survey of government employment. The margin of
sampling error for a survey based on this many interviews is approximately +/-4
percentage points for the business sector, and +/-6 percentage points for
government.

About CDW

CDW is a leading provider of technology solutions for business, government and
education. Ranked No. 34 on Forbes' list of America's Largest Private Companies,
CDW features dedicated account managers who help customers choose the right
technology products and services to meet their needs. The company's technology
specialists offer expertise in designing customized solutions, while its
advanced technology engineers can assist customers with the implementation and
long-term management of those solutions. Areas of focus include notebooks,
desktops, printers, servers and storage, unified communications, security,
wireless, power and cooling, networking, software licensing and mobility
solutions.

CDW was founded in 1984 and as of June 30, 2009 employed approximately 6,250
coworkers. In 2008, the company generated sales of $8.1 billion. For more
information, visit CDW.com.

Gina Gesmond
Ogilvy Public Relations
(312) 397-6028
gina.gesmond@ogilvypr.com
or
Clark Walter
CDW Corporation
(847) 968-0728
cwalter@cdw.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009

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