CompTIA Blog

A look at the week of March 7 in public advocacy for the IT channel This week, the House voted to repeal the 1099 requirement, but the Congressional debate is far from over.  The interim spending bill passed by Congress cuts Department of Homeland Security (DHS) network security programs by $20 million. The federal government is evaluating its cybersecurity staffing needs and potential plans for an increase in personnel.  1099 Repeal: Not Over Yet — Although the House joined the Senate in voting ...

Successful small businesses that grow into medium-sized and large businesses are the key to this country’s future, President Barack Obama told an Ohio audience last week at the “Winning the Future Forum on Small Business”. “When our small businesses do well, America does well,” Obama said.  Standing at the intersection of the small business community and healthcare information technology (HIT), many of our nation’s small IT firms will continue to be c ...

When you started your IT services business, did you have a detailed document that walked you through best practices and alerted you to the pitfalls you could encounter along the way? If your experience was similar to that of most VARs and MSPs I know, the answer would be a resounding NO! Most of the successful entrepreneurs in the IT channel built their businesses the old fashioned way; through trial and error. While there are a number of reasons why most companies fail, those who receive advice ...

After uneven gains in 2010, our market research points to an improving landscape for the global IT industry in 2011. We project industry growth of four percent, with upside potential of slightly over six percent. This equates to approximately $1.5 trillion in global sales of IT hardware, software and services, according to the research firm IDC. Add in the telecommunications sector to cover the full breadth of information technology, and the industry scales to a $3 trillion economic and innovati ...

We have the privilege of working in one of the best industries in the world. The IT channel is dynamic and it’s always changing. Most of us who run a VAR, solution provider, managed service provider—or whatever label you want to use—company are typically not born business people.Most of us are technology-oriented, whether through formal training or experience, typically getting into the business from the IT side. Over the years, we force ourselves to learn what we need to know in order to succes ...

Economic growth covers up a lot of warts, but when growth isn't there, those blemishes start to look pretty ugly. Elected officials at the federal, state and local level are beginning to wipe the steam off the bathroom mirror and they aren't liking the options staring back at them.Everyone is better at managing when times are going gangbusters. Really, how difficult was it to manage the U.S. economy in the second half of the 1990s? The economy was growing at near emerging market rates. Federal a ...

While the process of answering the phone hasn’t changed a lot over the years, the technology behind the call has transformed significantly—especially for businesses. Efficiency and productivity are being taken to new heights with the latest unified communications (UC) solutions, connecting a myriad of applications and account management platforms to reduce the time required to manage customer calls. Both the technology and business applications continue to advance, which was confirmed by two of ...

A look at the week of February 28 in public advocacy for the IT channel This week, discussions over government funding led to a reconsideration of essential security personnel.  The House is scheduled to consider stand-alone 1099 legislation.  Funding for electronic medical records (EMRs) may be threatened in budget cuts. Looming Government Shutdown Redefines Essential Personnel — The threat of a government shutdown has forced cybersecurity experts to reevaluate which employe ...

I love the TechRepublic website, and my last Monday morning’s reading included Jack Wallen’s “10 Reasons for Quitting IT” article. Lots of comments and suggestions—some of them humorous like farming and Buddhist monk, etc., but some of them observations from some pretty frustrated IT folks. As someone who has moved around for most of his IT career (production manager in database/imaging service bureau, IT manager, CIO in several places, storage industry executive leadership, now working for Comp ...

We’re establishing a new member community whose charter is to "deliver expertise and guidance to impact solution provider success".  The IT Business Growth Professionals Community (ITBGP) believes that providing innovative coaching and consulting services to other IT solutions firms is a way to raise the standards of quality and professionalism across the industry, thus benefiting all of us.The idea for the community began with discussions between CompTIA leadership and members recognizing the n ...

We are urging the House to pass H.R. 4, which would repeal a new 1099 reporting requirement that would impose an undue burden on small businesses. Unless this provision is repealed, beginning in 2012, all businesses will be required to file a form 1099 when they pay any business or individual $600 or more for goods or services during a year.The House is expected to vote on this legislation on Thursday, March 3.  Click here to send a message to your U.S. Representative. Your voice is IMPORTANT! ...

Through our Educational Foundation, we enable people to improve their lives through employment in the IT industry.  Our foundation’s services help at-risk individuals and populations under-represented in IT prepare for, secure and be successful in IT careers.We've helped thousands of individuals, including military personnel and spouses.  For instance last year, Christopher Venters, an Air Force veteran from Deleware, obtained several CompTIA certifications by way of the foundation.In the summer ...

In Illinois, legislation that would shut down many small internet businesses has been passed by both houses and sits on the governor's desk for signature. Dubbed the Amazon Tax, the new law would require any non-Illinois seller to collect Illinois sales tax if that seller acquires customers through a link on the Internet website of the Illinois business. This requirement applies even ‘though the out-of-state business has no other presence in the state. We refer to this emerging concept as “virtu ...

Earlier this month, CompTIA President and CEO Todd Thibodeaux observed that there is a significant knowledge gap among legislators, their staff and administration officials about the composition of the IT industry, and how sizeable and important a role the IT solution provider plays in the larger tech ecosystem."If a company isn't making a tangible product, producing patents or IP, they aren't getting noticed by lawmakers and federal agencies," said Thibodeaux. "We at CompTIA have a duty to rais ...

The preliminary news on Microsoft’s next version of Windows could lead to several ripples in the IT channel, far beyond its effects on the company’s escalating battles with rivals Apple and Google. According to long-time Microsoft expert and ZDNet blogger Mary-Jo Foley, the software company is on track to release Windows 8 (though this name hasn’t been finalized) in mid-2012, with beta clients getting access to the OS earlier in the year. The big question seems to be how many versions there will ...