Breakaway XChange adds 'White-Box' Focus.

MANHASSET, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 17, 1999--

Further Supports 40 Percent of Resellers Reporting

`Unbranded' as Best-Selling Brand

CMP Media's (Nasdaq: CMPX) Channel Group is enhancing its upcoming Breakaway XChange Conference with the addition of programming and private boardroom interchanges that will focus on the growth of unbranded personal computers (PCs), so-called "white boxes." New educational content will address the white-box phenomenon and personal meetings will be convened among resellers seeking to establish partnering arrangements.

Charles Humphrey, CMP vice president and senior director of channel programs, explained "this is a major program expansion that recognizes the enormous strength of white-box resellers. Roughly 25 percent of the hundreds of resellers participating in XChange are heavily involved in this model.

"In large measure, the Channel Group identified and legitimized the white-box market," Humphrey continued, "and we are recognized as experts on this phenomenon. These resellers have reached a point of maturity where they are asking us to deliver a forum where their market issues can be addressed."

Humphrey also cited research findings published in the March 15 issue of Computer Reseller News indicating that 40 percent of resellers report that white boxes are their best-selling desktop PCs, three times as many as mention Compaq, the leading brand name. In the server segment, 30.5 percent of resellers surveyed by the technology newspaper reported white box as their top seller, compared with 22 percent mentioning Compaq.

Breakaway XChange will continue to address the issues affecting all systems integrators, network VARs (value-added resellers) corporate resellers, enterprise partners and total-solution VARs.

To be held August 30-September 1 at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., Breakaway XChange is produced by CMP's Channel Group in partnership with CompTIA, the industry's largest reseller trade association, representing nearly 7,000 members. Complete program and registration information is available from Tricia Sheppard at [phone]; e-mail [e-mail].

The XChange Conference series brings together the channel's leading executives from the vendor, retailer, reseller and distributor communities for face-to-face opportunities to learn about emerging market opportunities and industry trends and to conduct business. Other series events are Retail XChange, Reseller XChange and Cyber XChange.

CMP's Channel Group comprises four publications serving the sellers of technology: Computer Reseller News, VARBusiness, CRN Enterprise Partner and Computer Retail Week plus their online editions. Other group products and services include the Channel Information Services research and consulting unit; ChannelWEB, the resellers-only virtual community at http://www.channelweb.com; the CMP Channel Advocate Program; and Channel Custom Publishing.

CMP Media Inc. (Nasdaq: CMPX) is the leading high-tech media company providing essential information and marketing services to the entire technology spectrum--the builders, sellers and users of technology worldwide. With its portfolio of newspapers, magazines, custom publishing, Internet products, research, consulting and conferences, CMP is uniquely positioned to offer marketers comprehensive, integrated solutions tailored to meet their individual needs. Online editions of the company's print publications, along with products and services created exclusively for the Internet, can be found on CMPnet at http://www.CMPnet.com. NSTL, the company's independent testing lab and consulting organization, serves government, corporate and technology vendor clients around the world.