CompTIA Blog

Takeaway of the week is an increasing number of thumbs-up signs for IT job seekers as the calendars prepare to flip another year. While a successful job search often comes down to the right combination of experience, education and luck, it’s becoming more apparent that some roles - whether for technicians or those leading them - might have an upper hand over other roles in the new cloud-based tech world.   For the Right Skills, the Tech Boom is Real An increasing number of people in th ...

Last week, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence unanimously passed out of committee the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act of 2011 (H.R. 3523). The bill would “permit cybersecurity service providers and businesses that operate their own cybersecurity systems to share information related to potential cybersecurity threats with other businesses and the federal government. Such threats include efforts to interfere with a cybersecurity network, or threats involving the the ...

With two weeks left in the 2011 sales season, most solution providers have their plans in place for the first quarter of the New Year—if not for the next twelve months. Since it’s difficult to make a hard close to December business with the holidays, many are already shifting their focus to 2012—and looking for ways to improve their organization.This time of year business is typically a little slower, allowing the management team to reflect on past success and challenges before moving into the n ...

A look at the week of December 12 in public advocacy for the IT channel: This week, members of Congress are looking at innovative ways to fund small businesses.  A cybersecurity bill is making progress in the House Homeland Security subcommittee on cybersecurity.  Federal cloud providers have new security controls from the Obama Administration.Both Parties Invest in Crowdfunding — Even as they continue to spar over taxes, deficit reduction and government regulations, members of Congress are eyei ...

How many generations are in your workplace? New research (HR Magazine, SHRM, May 2001) indicates that the greater the diversity of age groups, the more conflict you may have. This is likely to result in less employee engagement, translating into lower productivity and decreased potential profits.If you are dealing with multiple generations in your workforce, what can you do to address these concerns? Different age groups espouse divergent values depending on what was happening in society when th ...

Among the top “buzz” words in the IT community are “cloud” and “SMB,” which is seen as no coincidence by those in the IT channel. These two terms are closely tied and both highlight key areas of opportunity for solution providers. Time has demonstrated how cloud benefits extend to businesses of every size, in every industry, but the model has been especially beneficial to small and mid-sized companies.SMB organizations often find themselves battling much larger competitors, businesses that typic ...

Takeaway of the week is an early holiday gift for the IT professional and job seeker alike. More reports, surveys and such are building on the perception that IT pros, especially those with specialty skills such as mainframe, Java and Android programming, will be big-ticket needs for firms in the coming year.2012 Looks Bright for Tech Pros, New Survey SuggestsA new report by Dice.com suggests IT pros can expect a greater demand for their skills and less layoffs in the coming year.The positive hi ...

Takeaway of the week is an early holiday gift for the IT professional and job seeker alike. More reports, surveys and such are building on the perception that IT pros, especially those with specialty skills such as mainframe, Java and Android programming, will be big-ticket needs for firms in the coming year.   2012 Looks Bright for Tech Pros, New Survey Suggests A new report by Dice.com suggests IT pros can expect a greater demand for their skills and less layoffs in the coming year. ...

CompTIA member Lester Keizer is CEO of Xilocore, a Las Vegas-based business continuity and disaster recovery services company that works exclusively with the channel partner community.  A long-time advocate of CompTIA, he has contributed to a number of the association’s initiatives and groups over the years and serves as a member of  the current Board of Directors.Prior to leading the Xilocore team, Keizer was CEO of Ron Cook’s Connecting Point and oversaw the company’s transformation from a pro ...

A look at the week of December 5 in public advocacy for the IT channel: This week, States urge Congress to address the issue of sales tax in online commerce.  Senate Democrats introduced a new payroll tax bill to Republican criticism.  A House cyber bill recommends creating a clearinghouse to share data between the government and private sector. Congress Urged to Close Online Sales-Tax Loophole — State officials and some retailers urged Congress to finally close a loophole that they say benefits ...

This is the time of year when most companies are working full speed on their 2012 business plans, from setting sales and marketing objectives to estimating the upcoming operational and capital investment needs. December is also the holiday season for many, but the work never stops for solution providers and others in the IT industry. In addition to building budgets and plans for the New Year, the push is on to meet and exceed annual revenue goals before the end of the month. That’s on top of the ...

Interesting times we have in the IT industry. New business models, new economic realities and new customer buying patterns warrant a pretty serious look at business transformation, especially in the channel. There’s simply no denying that the way IT goods and services are sold, delivered and managed is undergoing a foundational shift from product transactions to solutions- and services-oriented selling. What isn’t so certain is the roadmap for change. Nobody – not IT vendors, solution providers ...

Takeaway of the week is that we may be presented with more evidence that cloud computing and mobile technology are must-have skills and expertise for the IT job-seeker - with explosive potential for 2012, but it could be just as important to expand that technical skill set to include real-world business skills.   Forrester: Cloud Computing Makes More Inroads in 2012 By next year, more businesses will have knowledge and interest in the notion of cloud computing, which is both good and ...

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced several changes to encourage the adoption of electronic health records, specifically by delaying Stage 2 of meaningful use standards by one year.  According to HHS, “to encourage faster adoption, the Secretary announced that HHS intends to allow doctors and hospitals to adopt health IT this year, without meeting the new standards until 2014. Doctors who act quickly can also qualify for incentive payments in 2011 as well a ...

A look at the week of November 28 in public advocacy for the IT channel: This week, the arrival of new Department of Homeland Security Deputy Undersecretary for Cybersecurity Mark Weatherford might lead to greater cooperation between DHS and the intelligence community.  Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) wants to attach cyber legislation to the defense authorization bill.  The Department of Defense is seeing significant savings in consolidating IT.Cybersecurity Expert Hails New DHS Cyber Chief — New Depa ...