CMP Media's CRN Test Center to Announce the CRN Annual Ultimate Custom Solutions Award Winners on May 9, 2003

CRN, the newsweekly for builders of technology solutions, today announced that it would present the winners of the CRN Ultimate Custom Solutions Awards on May 8 and 9 during the CMP XChange Tech Builder conference at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego, CA. The CRN Test Center has been building the Ultimate PC TM in front of a live audience since 1997. This will be the first year the CRN Test Center will create the Ultimate Server and Ultimate Storage in addition to the Ultimate PCTM . The three demonstrations will be held at the XChange Tech Builder Conference, which brings together executives and leaders in the technology builder community. The Ultimate PC™ will be sponsored by Microsoft, the Ultimate Server will be sponsored by Kingston Technology, and the Ultimate Storage will be sponsored by Maxtor/BuildIT.org.

The Ultimate Custom Solutions event included three separate and live demonstrations where the CRN Test Center built the Ultimate PC TM, Ultimate Server, and Ultimate Storage to see how far limits can be pushed with today's technology, by selecting best-of-breed components. Throughout the year, the Director of CRN Labs, John Yacono and his lab team select, test, and review the most cutting-edge technology available in the market to create these solutions. The end results are solutions that use the most innovative, feature-rich, and performance-oriented products manufactured by today's top vendors.

The 2003 Ultimate Custom Solutions Awards will recognize outstanding technology vendors in the following product categories:

    * Ultimate PC:  Display; DVD/CD Drive; Floppy Disk Drive;
      Hard Drive/Capacity; Hard Drive/Performance; Keyboard; Memory;
      Motherboard; Mouse; NIC; Power Supply; Processor; SCSI HBA; Sound
      System; Speaker system; System Case; and Video System.

    * Ultimate Server:  CD/DVD; Hard Drives; Management Card; Memory
      Modules; Motherboard; Processor and System Server Case.

    * Ultimate Storage:  Hard Drive; and Whitebox NAS Chassis.

The CRN Test Center rates the vendor partners on product criteria such as quality, functionality, performance, and innovation.

"This year we are excited to build 'ultimate' solutions for server and storage as well as the PC," said John Yacono. "We worked hard throughout the year to select and test the best of breed solutions. We are looking forward to unveiling the technologies we have identified and to build these extraordinary solutions."

About CRN and CRN Test Center

CRN is the nation's leading trade newsweekly that provides timely industry news and analysis for solution providers, integrators and e-businesses building technology solutions. It is the most trusted source of news for 117,500 channel professionals. A media leader in the high-tech industry, CRN provides the most comprehensive suite of online resources: http://www.crn.com/, the site where industry news breaks first; CRN Direct, a daily newsletter that brings personalized news to solution providers' desktops; and CRN Broadcast News, a daily news broadcast covering the solution provider channel and the industry.

The CRN Test Center is the technology-evaluation department of CRN, providing unbiased product, technology and channel-program analysis specifically targeted at solution providers. The CRN Test Center produces single-product reviews, technology news, technology demonstrations at tradeshows, and product roundups featuring channel-program evaluations. Top products receive the coveted "Editor's Choice" or "Recommended" designations

About CMP Media LLC

CMP Media LLC (www.cmp.com) is a leading integrated media company providing essential information and marketing services to the entire technology spectrum-the builders, sellers and users of technology worldwide. Capitalizing on its editorial strength, CMP is uniquely positioned to offer marketers comprehensive, integrated media solutions tailored to meet their individual needs. Its diverse products and services include newspapers, magazines, Internet products, research, direct marketing services, education and training, trade shows and conferences, and custom publishing.

   Contact:  Ramona Castaldo
             CRN
             516.562.7219
             rcastald@cmp.com

SOURCE: CMP Media LLC; CRN

CONTACT: Ramona Castaldo of CRN, +1-516-562-7219, or rcastald@cmp.com

Web site: http://www.cmp.com/
http://www.crn.com/

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