CDWC Cdw Corp (MM)

CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G), a wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation (NASDAQ:CDWC) and leading source of Information Technology (IT) solutions to governments and educators, today launched the second in a series of the State & Local Government Technology Investment Curve (TIC), an assessment of State & Local government purchasing behavior since 2000. The TIC maps all potential state, county and city government customers against five years of CDW-G customer data. Encompassing all 50 states, more than 100,000 products and 1,000 manufacturers, the Technology Investment Curve provides the most accurate, unbiased assessment of State & Local government technology investment currently available. The second installment of the TIC indexes purchases of 802.11 wireless, or Wi-Fi, technology. Wi-Fi is the common term for networks built on the 802.11 wireless communications standard. A Wi-Fi network connects computers to each other, to the Internet, and to wired enterprise-wide networks. With a DSL, cable modem or wired Ethernet connection to the Internet and a Wi-Fi access point, users are mobile within a contained area, such as an office, campus or neighborhood. Of all 50 states, Rhode Island is the sole Lead Investor, with an 802.11 wireless investment profile 147 percent higher than the average. This Lead Investor state demonstrates significant, committed investment in 802.11 wireless technologies at all levels of government, and over the entire time span of the assessment. Rhode Island is followed in 802.11 wireless technology investment by Early Investor states Ohio, Colorado, Utah, California, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming, with 802.11 wireless investment profiles between 43 percent and 82 percent higher than average. The CDW-G State & Local TIC for 802.11 wireless technologies is not an assessment of leadership in wireless technology or quality of wireless deployments. Rather, the curve is a quantitative, relative index of investment in wireless 802.11 technologies. Wireless technology investment is a single component of the people, processes and technologies required to bring wireless networking capabilities to cities, counties and states. States have realized the significant benefits of wireless technologies. Municipal wireless networks provide widespread Internet connectivity to select user groups, increasing government workers' mobility and productivity, as well as improving citizen services. Further, redundant connection points facilitate continuity of operations in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency situation. Numerous public safety offices are integrating common wired solutions into the wireless networks, such as video surveillance, delivering a powerful, mobile response tool that enables first responders to handle emergency situations with current information and even live feeds to cameras monitoring the incident. "Investment in wireless technologies is an important step in driving improved collaboration and information sharing while reducing networking costs for state and local government agencies," said Alan Weiss, CDW-G director of state and local sales. "At this point, however, state and local government leaders do not have a unified framework for assessing wireless technology investments across different states and multiple levels of government. Our hope is that the State & Local Technology Investment Curve will enhance the market dialogue on wireless technology." Looking specifically at the Lead and Early Investor states, CDW-G and interviewees in state, county and municipal governments identified common elements that lead to more aggressive investments in 802.11 wireless technologies, including: -- Strong public-private partnerships -- Significant private-sector leadership in generating wireless hotspots -- Initiatives often led by public safety -- Strong execution at the county and city levels The State & Local TIC for wireless has a margin of error of less than 2 percent. The full study is available for download and review at http://www.cdwg.com/tic. About CDW-G CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G), a wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation (NASDAQ:CDWC), a FORTUNE 500 company, is a trusted technology advisor and solutions provider to federal, state and local government agencies, as well as to educational institutions at all levels. CDW-G responds with a sense of urgency to customer technology needs, delivering best-in-class solutions from top-name brands such as Apple, Cisco, HP, IBM, Microsoft, Sony, Symantec and Toshiba. CDW-G focuses on building strong customer relationships with its knowledgeable account managers and technical specialists who provide extensive pre- and post-sales support. For more information about CDW-G product offerings, procurement options, services and solutions, call 1.800.863.4239, or visit the CDW-G Web site at CDWG.com.