GTDC Announces European Database Providing Unprecedented Insight into IT Industry Trends

The Global Technology Distribution Council (GTDC) today announced
the immediate availability of a European technology sales tracking
service based on GTDC member sales carried out by leading European IT
market research company, Context. The GTDC is an international
consortium of leading IT distributors with more than USD 100 billion
in total revenue. Its joint introduction with Context of "SalesWatch -
DistributionSM" follows the success of a similar service, The NPD
Group Distributor Track(R), in the United States. That offering,
introduced in October 2002, and the Context service are both available
by subscription.

"IT distributor sales provide a comprehensive and unique
perspective on overall industry trends by channel," commented Tim
Curran, the GTDC's chief executive officer. "By aggregating data
through reputable, independent market research firms, we are able to
deliver a detailed perspective on what's happening in IT from numerous
standpoints. Subscribers to SalesWatch - Distribution will gain a
clear picture of technology product sales trends at the country level
for all the major European markets."

"This is the most comprehensive -- and most accurate -- reporting
of sales-out data in the European channel," said Jeremy Davies
co-founder of Context. "The value in trend analysis is unsurpassed
because the data is based on actual aggregate sales-out figures
provided by GTDC member distributors throughout Europe's top
economies."

The SalesWatch - Distribution service gives subscribers the
ability to drill down into specific product categories sold by
value-added resellers as well as retailers. Both units and actual
revenue are tracked down to product SKU level, including critical
price points intelligence and other trend information.

About Context

Context is Europe's leading independent IT consumer and business
technology market research company, based in London, UK, and serving
the ICT community since 1983. For more information, visit
www.contextworld.com.

About The Global Technology Distribution Council

The Global Technology Distribution Council (GTDC) is a worldwide
industry association dedicated to defining and promoting the role of
wholesale distribution in a successful and healthy information
technology channel. The Council is comprised of the computer
industry's top wholesale distributors dedicated to serving "the
channel," a network of skilled value-added resellers and retail stores
focused on providing hardware, software, and services to businesses
and consumers around the globe. GTDC members include Actebis, Arrow
Electronics (NYSE: ARW), Avnet (NYSE: AVT), Bell Microproducts
(NASDAQ: BELM), DCC SerCom, ECS Holdings, Ingram Micro (IM), Logix,
Magirus AG, Scribona, Synnex (NYSE:SNX), Tech Data (NASDAQ: TECD),
Westcoast LTD and Westcon.