Big Pc Direct Marketer Cdw Targets Govt., Education Mkts. With New Dc-Based Subsidiary

EDP Weekly's IT Monitor, Sept 14, 1998

Vernon Hills, Ill.-based CDW Computer Centers Inc., a Fortune 1000 company and one of the country's largest and fastest growing direct marketers of brand name computer products, has just formed CDW Government Inc. (CDWG), a Beltway-based subsidiary focused exclusively on serving the federal/state government and education markets.

CDWG says it will operate with a unique combination of a field sales force and contract bid team headquartered at a new national sales office in Chantilly, Va., and augmented by inside sales account managers in Vernon Hills.

"CDWG will bring the best commercial practices that have been developed during [its] 14-year history to the government and education marketplace. We are committed to expanding CDWG's presence and becoming a long-term leader in this market," says company Chairman Michael Krasny.

CDWG will offer a variety of government procurement vehicles, including GSA schedule, open market purchases, blanket purchase agreements (BPSs) and other formal bid contracts. The firm has also just launched www.cdwg.com, an electronic commerce Web site for the government market. Industry veteran William Shafley will lead CDWG's sales and marketing efforts from its national sales office.

"By leveraging CDW's operational strengths and customer service orientation, CDWG customers will benefit from quick and accurate same-day shipping, competitive pricing, lifetime toll-free technical support, custom configuration and broad product selection," Shafley says. "With the combination of market-specific experience and expertise, availability of the products government and education customers need at competitive prices, and a fast and flexible operating culture, CDWG has everything it takes to be the supplier of choice for this market."