Comdisco and Microsoft Form Alliance to Offer Software Testing and Benchmarking Services; Microsoft and Comdisco Premier Computing Lab to Support Testing, Product Rollouts.

ROSEMONT, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 11, 1999--

Comdisco, Inc. (NYSE:CDO) and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT) today announced an alliance to offer comprehensive software testing and benchmarking services. The Microsoft and Comdisco Premier Computing Lab will enable independent software vendors and corporate enterprises to test solutions based on new and emerging Microsoft(R) technologies. The lab, which will be located within Comdisco's Seattle metro recovery facility, is scheduled to open in June 1999 and will enhance Microsoft's ability to deliver existing lab services to its Premier customers.

"Comdisco delivers the best global technology infrastructure services to drive business advantage for our customers," said Dave Sloboda, senior vice president of Marketing and Business Development for Comdisco. "These worldwide organizations rely on technology to support strategic business applications such as enterprise resource planning, electronic commerce and data warehousing applications. One tenet of this strategic use of technology is that the systems must remain online and constantly available throughout the organization, executing transactions and processing and capturing data without delay or disruption.

"A challenge for the enterprise, however, has been to determine a way to conduct application and operating system-performance testing on existing infrastructures without interrupting operations," Sloboda said. "By taking advantage of this facility with its leading-edge hardware and networking capabilities, Microsoft can offer its Premier customers the full-service testing they need to ensure a successful rollout of new applications."

The Microsoft and Comdisco Premier Computing Lab will allow customers to simulate performance in an operating environment that accurately reflects an organization's normal system demands. By utilizing the lab, Microsoft Premier customers can test compatibility and performance when integrating various software applications with Microsoft technology. They can use these benchmarking and scalability testing results to eliminate potential problems before rolling out any systems within their own companies or with their customers.

"Comdisco leads the industry with its experience in business continuity, availability services and testing. It also has a growing leadership position in technology infrastructure management services," said Dave Roush, group manager of Premier Leveraged Services for Microsoft. "By teaming with Comdisco, we can enhance our existing laboratory service with increased computing capacity, permitting both companies to reach a larger population of customers with our complementary services."

Under the two-year agreement, Microsoft will supply laboratory technicians, application development consultants and product engineering support for customer software testing. Comdisco will provide the technology infrastructure and manage technology migration to keep pace with customers' changing needs. The companies are considering expanding the testing lab to other Comdisco facilities in North America and Europe.

About Comdisco

Comdisco is a leading technology services company, providing technology infrastructure management services necessary to deliver information and applications any time or anywhere, without delay or disruption. Key service areas include business continuity; network management; desktop management and underlying software support; and hardware leasing and remarketing. The company's revenue for the 12 months ended March 31, 1999, was $3.6 billion, placing it among the Fortune 500. Through its subsidiary Prism Communication Services Inc., Comdisco is developing a high-speed, always-on digital network, which will provide customers with leading-edge connectivity. For more information, call 800-272-9792 or visit Comdisco's Web site at www.comdisco.com.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. Comdisco is a registered trademark of Comdisco, Inc.

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