CompTIA Blog

Since its initial enactment in 1998, the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) has banned federal, state and local governments from taxing Internet access charges, as well as from assessing multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce. The stated purpose of this law was to “ … promote and preserve the commercial, educational, and informational potential of the Internet.” This purpose is even more valid today. However, the moratorium, which has been extended five times since its enactment, is now set to expire on October 1, 2015.

Managed services and proactive selling have helped solution providers address pricing issues in the past, but the commoditization of cloud solutions and hardware is fueling new pricing talks. While most channel professionals know that competing head-to-head with big companies offering “freemium” options is a losing proposition, there are ways to help your clients understand the long-term implications of these services — and whether they carry real value or not.

IT industry business confidence is up, demand for tech workers remains strong and CompTIA’s industry growth projection is at its highest point in years. It’s always difficult to believe the economy is poised for a solid year, but the predictions in the new IT Industry Outlook say otherwise.

A whopping 70 percent of channel firms participating in CompTIA’s new UK State of the Channel said they’re taking transformational steps in their organizations, change driven by the rising popularity of cloud computing and customer demand for new delivery systems and services models. But change, of course, comes with challenges.

Successful MSPs focus on operational process discipline, have a deep understanding of customer requirements, and understand market conditions and technology progress, according to CompTIA Vendor Advisory Council member Dave Sobel. In this piece, he outlines what makes a successful MSP practice and a focus on business agility creates perpetually valuable business model.

Why should you care about CES, with its focus on consumer electronics destined for brick-and-mortar retail and online sales? Because ignoring consumer electronics today means you’re ignoring the wants and needs of your business customers as well.

Learn how Richard Rieben became a CompTIA subject matter expert and why he enjoys it.

The seventh annual MSPmentor 250 list highlights the comprehensive strength of CompTIA’s Managed Services Community and its members. See who made the list, and why the community’s collaborative efforts are truly noteworthy.

CompTIA members and registered users downloaded more content than ever in 2014, using our vendor-neutral resources to get an edge over the competition. See what people are reading in CompTIA’s Most Popular Downloads.

It’s that time of year; when many resolve to make personal improvements that may have eluded them for the past 12 months. But regardless of whether you’re still getting any use out of that new gym membership come spring, now is the perfect time to look into or even start training for one of CompTIA’s broad range of IT certifications.

From the digital wallet to gadget equilibrium, our senior director of technology analysis Seth Robinson offers his take on the end-of-year trends in tech, and what they mean for 2015.

What’s keeping women from entering the IT field and — more importantly — what can we do to change the trend? “First off, we need to change their perception of what a career in IT and the IT channel really means,” said Mary Ellen Grom, ‎vice president of U.S. marketing for SYNNEX Corporation and an executive council member of CompTIA’s Advancing Women in IT Community (AWIT). “We need to discuss how they can take their passion and education and find the right application for it in the industry.”

AWIT’s Doriana Allyn looks back at the progress of the CompTIA Community and what’s in store for 2015, including a four-part webinar series designed for women working in IT.

The education market is a good target for today’s channel, according to CompTIA’s study, “The Changing Classroom: Perspectives from Students and Educators on the Role of Technology.” As educators realize the benefits to student performance, achievement mandates and overall efficiency, IT will continue to increase in importance—and spending.

Most people have little concern with new location devices and cameras used to track data, but what happens when private companies not only access the data, but sell it to others? Channel companies offering surveillance and public safety need to be open and honest about what their systems can and can’t do, and start considering a variety of ethical issues.