During Time of Critical Need, New CDW Team Helps Non-Profits Get the Most from Information Technology

VERNON HILLS, Ill., April 21, 2009 — CDW Corporation, a leading provider of technology products and services to business, government and education, today announced the formation of a solutions team solely dedicated to solving critical information technology (IT) needs for non-profit charitable organizations and foundations. Supported by technology specialists in areas such as security, volume software licensing, telephony and power and cooling, CDW’s non-profit team leverages CDW partnerships to bring non-profit organizations business-class solutions for their unique challenges.

“CDW has worked with hundreds of non-profit organizations over the years, and we learned that this sector is often underserved in traditional IT channels. They operate differently and under more severe financial constraints than most other customers,” said Pat Kohl, senior sales manager, CDW. “Dedicating a group of experts to focus on the non-profit environment assures these customers that they receive solutions specifically tailored to meet their unique mission – particularly in these challenging times.”

CDW’s Commitment to Service Rings Bells With Salvation Army
The Salvation Army’s Central Territory encompasses 11 Midwestern states, touching nearly every segment of society with help, hope and healing to those who come within its reach. Among the programs and services it provides, The Salvation Army offers a wide array of children’s services, rehabilitative correctional services and social services, including adult rehabilitation centers and disaster relief services. Part of The Salvation Army’s funding comes from the operation of thrift retail stores and, with more than 250 thrift stores in the Central Territory alone, the 130-year-old organization is one of the larger retail organizations in the United States.

The Salvation Army Central Territory relies upon thousands of employees and volunteers, many of whom use computers or point-of-sale (POS) systems as part of their work. Ensuring the viability of the entire technology infrastructure is a challenge, particularly with the organization intent on directing as much of its budget as possible to its client services. After working with CDW closely over five years on a variety of solutions, Central Territory CIO Ron Shoults recently named CDW Corporation the primary technology partner for the region.

CDW, leveraging its partnerships to provide The Salvation Army with the most cost-effective hardware and licensing agreements, recently performed a server virtualization assessment that led to a data center virtualization consolidation strategy currently under consideration. Through the assessment, CDW’s virtualization assessment team concluded that virtualizing The Salvation Army’s data centers could reduce the number of physical servers from 44 to 3, a consolidation ratio of 93 percent. As a result, the assessment estimated that The Salvation Army could reduce its power demand by as much as 14,000 watts and cut cooling load up to 42,000 BTUs per hour, leading to an estimated $26,000 annual savings in energy costs.

“CDW’s non-profit team provides The Salvation Army with expertise and advice we have not found elsewhere,” Shoults said. “Our goal is to help as many people as possible. The value in our partnership really comes from the fact that we’re able to update our IT systems with new solutions more efficiently, enabling us to focus more resources on our mission.”

CDW Enhances American Heart Association’s Mission through Partnership
The American Heart Association (AHA), based in Dallas, partnered with CDW, as one of its primary data center partners. CDW has assisted AHA for more than six years with maintaining and improving its server environment, as well as implementing a software licensing solution and a video conferencing solution.

“CDW not only provides quality products, but it provides value-added services by bringing expert analysts to meet our business needs. They really understand our business from an IT standpoint,” said Martha Young, IT director at AHA. “The partnership we’ve developed with CDW has reduced the amount of time we spend on developing IT solutions and truly enabled us at AHA to focus on our critical mission of building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.”

For more information on the CDW non-profit solutions team, please visit http://www.cdw.com/nonprofit.

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 December 31, 2008 employed approximately 6,850 coworkers. In 2008, the company generated sales of $8.1 billion. For more information, visit CDW.com.