CompTIA Blog

The House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Subcommittee on the Internet held back-to-back hearings on May 21 focused on “Cyber Threats and Security Solutions” and “An Examination of the Communications Supply Chain” in what was a marathon day of testimony. The first hearing consisted of two panels. The first panelist was Patrick Gallagher, undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology and director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). ...

This week, CompTIA was invited to attend an event with Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) at the American Legion Hall in Alexandria, VA. Kaine has introduced his first piece of legislation since joining the Senate last fall, called the “Troop Talent Act of 2013,” and Duckworth introduced the companion bill in the House. They were there to share information about the bill and urge the veterans and industry supporters in the audience to ask members of the ...

This week, CompTIA’s EVP for Skills Certification Terry Erdle and I attended the National Journal policy briefing, “The Underemployed Generation: Matching Skills to Jobs.” The discussion was informative and included a lot of great experts on the subject. The first part of the morning was a discussion between National Journal reporter Fawn Johnson and Jane Oates, assistant secretary of employment and training administration with the U.S. Department of Labor. Oates spoke passiona ...

The Senate is continuing its work on reviewing S. 744, “the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013.” The Senate Judiciary Committee, led by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), has held several sessions, known as mark-ups, in which they have made substantive changes to the legislation. In between the formal sessions, compromises are being reached in closed-door meetings. The goal of these continued negotiations is to achie ...

We've heard a lot about the IT skills gaps in the U.S. But how are other countries faring on the IT skills front and, even more broadly, with technology adoption? Interestingly, more similarities than differences emerge across a wide array of countries; this according to CompTIA's recently conducted "International Technology Adoption & Workforce Issues" study. Some highlights: The importance of IT to business success continues to rise; strategic priorities increasingly include an IT componen ...

We’ve heard a lot about the IT skills gaps in the U.S. But how are other countries faring on the IT skills front and, even more broadly, with technology adoption? Interestingly, more similarities than differences emerge across a wide array of countries; this according to CompTIA’s recently conducted “International Technology Adoption & Workforce Issues” study. Some highlights: The importance of IT to business success continues to rise; strategic priorities increasingl ...

Teddy Roosevelt once said, “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” Of course, he wasn’t referring to IT channel companies when he said it, but in doing so he managed to sum up the dilemma many face when deciding how to grow their businesses. It can be difficult enough just managing pure revenue growth from existing operations, but when expanding services and sol ...

Today, TechVoice hosted a WebEx webinar with two of Washington, D.C.’s experts on immigration reform. Alix Burns, founder of Bay Bridge Strategies, and Dan Turrentine, co-chair of Compete America, discussed comprehensive immigration reform legislation titled, “The Border, Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013.” Burns and Turrentine provided analysis of the legislation, fixes they propose and the bill’s future. Discussion began about the ...

Since CompTIA introduced its executive certificate program at last year’s annual meeting, nearly 150 executive certificates have been earned. You can join this exclusive club by registering to earn an executive certificate on-site at ChannelCon – July 29 to 31 in Orlando, FL. ChannelCon attendees will be able to participate in executive certificate courses in cloud (both foundations and intermediate), mobility, data recovery and business continuity, and optimizing vendor relationship ...

Nearly 50 attendees representing Southern California’s tech industry and academia gathered at Irvine Valley College in Orange County, CA, on May 10 for a wide-ranging program featuring U.S. Congressman John Campbell. It was the third program of the new and growing Southern California TechVoice Chapter; a collaboration between CompTIA and the OC TechAlliance. Click here to view photos from the event. As chairman of the Southern California TechVoice Chapter, I had the privilege of moderatin ...

The CompTIA Advancing Women in IT Community webinar was entitled"Be Strong … Stand Up … Stand Out - Quiet Women Never Changed History" but before unveiling her tips, presenter Pattie Grimm explained she hoped to help participants avoid or stop what she called "The Fall"— that soul-drying, health-endangering exhaustion that comes from working too hard while trying to be Superwoman and/or Super Mom. "The myth of doing it all is truly a myth," said Grimm ...

Use the power of technology to make government more responsive and effective, and understand the significance of high-skilled immigration to our national economy – both themes dominated our May 7th agenda when nearly 50 tech executives met in Newark, N.J., to hear from Newark Mayor Cory Booker and Robert Feldstein from New York Mayor Bloomberg’s office.  This was the official kick-off of the Tri-State TechVoice Chapter, a collaboration between CompTIA, the New Jersey Technology ...

The only thing on this planet you can control is you: How you think, how you feel, how you react to situations and how you show up. Pattie Grimm, president and change leader, Advantage Performance & Training Ltd. The CompTIA Advancing Women in IT Community webinar was entitled "Be Strong … Stand Up … Stand Out - Quiet Women Never Changed History" but before unveiling her tips, presenter Pattie Grimm explained she hoped to help participants avoid or stop what she called "The Fall"— that ...

Yesterday, the Senate passed the Marketplace Fairness Act (“MFA”) by a vote of 69-27.  The MFA compels online and catalog retailers ("remote sellers"), no matter where they are located, to collect sales tax at the time of a transaction and remit to states where the customer resides. States are only granted the authority to collect these taxes after they have simplified their sales tax laws. This legislation (S. 743) now moves to the House, where its fate is less certain. &n ...

It has never been easy to find and retain quality employees. Regardless of how much people complain about today’s challenges with recruitment and retention, world history is filled with HR stories that would make finding an IT tech seem like a walk in the park. In the Stone Age, for example, the Greek economy relied heavily on fishing and trading, so those with sailing skills and great physical strength were highly desired employees. Those with the most exceptional talents often became mer ...