EXHIBIT 31.1

                        CERTIFICATION OF CEO PURSUANT TO
              SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT RULES 13A-14(A) AND 15D-14(A)
                 (SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002)

I,  Phillip G.  Norton,  President  and Chief  Executive  Officer of ePlus inc.,
certify that:

1.   I have reviewed this Quarterly Report of ePlus inc.;

2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of
     a material  fact or omit to state a  material  fact  necessary  to make the
     statements made, in light of the circumstances  under which such statements
     were made,  not  misleading  with  respect  to the  period  covered by this
     report;

3.   Based on my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other  financial
     information  included  in  this  report,  fairly  present  in all  material
     respects the financial  condition,  results of operations and cash flows of
     the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.   The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer(s) and I are  responsible for
     establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
     in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

              (a) Designed such disclosure  controls and  procedures,  or caused
       such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  to  be  designed  under  our
       supervision,   to  ensure  that  material  information  relating  to  the
       registrant,  including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us
       by others within those entities,  particularly during the period in which
       this report is being prepared;

              (b) Evaluated the  effectiveness  of the  registrant's  disclosure
       controls and  procedures  and  presented  in this report our  conclusions
       about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures,  as of
       the end of the period  covered by this report  based on such  evaluation;
       and

              (c)  Disclosed  in this  report  any  change  in the  registrant's
       internal  control  over  financial  reporting  that  occurred  during the
       registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the  registrant's  fourth fiscal
       quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or
       is reasonably  likely to materially  affect,  the  registrant's  internal
       control over financial reporting; and

5.   The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on
     our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
     the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board
     of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

              (a) All significant  deficiencies  and material  weaknesses in the
       design or operation of internal  control over financial  reporting  which
       are reasonably  likely to adversely  affect the  registrant's  ability to
       record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

              (b) Any fraud,  whether or not material,  that involves management
       or  other  employees  who  have a  significant  role in the  registrant's
       internal control over financial reporting.


Dated:   August 14, 2003                   /s/ PHILLIP G. NORTON
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           Phillip G. Norton
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer