CompTIA Blog

A look at the week of January 31, 2011, in public advocacy for the IT channel Last week, technology played a key role in President Obama’s State of the Union address.  Senate Democrats reignited the debate over cybersecurity by introducing a cybersecurity placeholder bill.  The Senate bill repealing the 1099 tax provision in the healthcare law has reached a critical number of co-sponsors. Obama Plays Up Tech's Value in State of the Union —Technology heavily underpinned ...

With the New Year, we’re embarking on several new certification exams. Development is currently underway on two security exams (a new version of CompTIA Security+ and CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner), CompTIA Storage+ powered by SNIA, and credentials around healthcare IT. We all know how huge security is for the industry. CompTIA Security+ is the fastest growing exam in our history and continues to see growing demand from both the public and private sectors. (There are almost 160, ...

Today’s business world is all about connections – those essential relationships that help drive growth and profitability among successful companies. Consider the underpinnings of the technology market, with its tight ties between manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and ultimately customers. Those partnerships are a must to success.One of the most critical relationships in our industry is that between vendors and IT channel partners. Perhaps nothing is more emblematic of that relationship than ...

Some prominent industry executives have jumped into new organizations and roles the past few weeks and, based on the vacancies created by these defections, additional switches could be on the way. This news is a great sign for solution providers, as several vendors looking to enhance their IT channel programs entice the skilled (and admired) leaders from competitors and other technology companies. With expanded roles and the ability to revamp partnership plans for their new employers, it will be ...

As high-bandwidth wireless networks are becoming more prevalent, Web video is increasingly being used as a medium for communication. Content providers are utilizing video as part of their messaging, and user-generated content sites such as YouTube and SmugMug are important components of the social marketplace. Because of the importance of video to the direction of the Internet, Google’s announcement that they would be dropping H.264 support from future releases of the Chrome browser has been hea ...

If it’s January, it must be time to talk predictions, trends and, let’s face it, guesstimates. Professionals and armchair prognosticators alike will share their outlook for the upcoming year, covering just about every topic under the sun. Top ten trends lists abound. From the Super Bowl to the Oscars and the S&P 500 to the next snowmageddon, people love to make and read about predictions.The tech space is especially fun for predictions, but also challenging due to the rapid pace of innovatio ...

We all have stood at the counter and made the big decision to get that big, juicy, fattening burger and then paired it with the proper super-sized drink only to hear, “Would you like fries with that?” We all know the sentiment behind the statement. The fries aren’t really all that important. Most VARs and MSPs focus on the main course in their business as well. Managing and monitoring servers, desk tops and other mission-critical software applications in your customers’ environment are very head ...

After several years working in the IT channel, both as an industry writer and software company employee, I look forward to attending events where I can catch up with my peers and immerse myself in discussions on essential technology business issues. Conferences tend to energize and inspire those who attend, providing insight needed to make improvements in their business and encouraging additional research on products, services and other topics that could shape their company’s future. In ...

A look at the week of January 24, 2011, in public advocacy for the IT channel This week, the House Ways and Means Committee will begin discussion on the controversial 1099 provision in the healthcare law.  CompTIA’s Business Confidence Index reports a promising outlook for the industry.  The Obama Administration’s cybersecurity efforts to date have received some criticism. Ways And Means To Discuss 1099 Tax Provision this Week — This week, the House Ways and Means ...

In this challenging economy, where the unemployment rate remains discouragingly high, IT jobs may be available but must be met by a skilled and ready workforce.  We maintain the Getting America Back to Work (GABTW) Program to provide a comprehensive process for assessing, training, certifying and placing unemployed individuals into entry and mid-level IT technical positions. We work through community colleges and partners for the training component. Funding for the training and certification vou ...

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to attend the “State of the Net” conference hosted by the Advisory Committee to the Congressional Internet Caucus held in Washington, D.C. The event was very well attended and there were numerous panels on a variety of public policy issues related to technology. Read on for a summary of the panels I attended.Online Privacy on Trial: Has Congress Given Industry Self-Regulating Long Enough?The discussion largely focused on providing a history of the developm ...

The channel is in a buying mood this week, from MSP business acquisitions to IBM stock, and a new distribution deal that should enhance the procurement process for ShoreTel partners. Is all this activity a sign the economy is back on solid ground, or could this be an indication of industry consolidation and a move to what many consider “safe investments”? You can be the judge, but several of this week’s topics provide fodder for that discussion.   Mergers and Acquisitions Ring in a Strong New Ye ...

Defining a term or industry adequately is hard work. Here’s a perfect example– how do you define “life”? Many have tried; it grows, reproduces, undergoes a complex set of chemical reactions to maintain growth and reproduce, and responds to stimuli. Sound like a thorough explanation? Not so fast— fire does all of these things, but clearly it is not living. Despite the difficulty of defining “life,” we all have a reasonable understanding of what it means when something is alive. Unified Communicat ...

A look at the week of January 17, 2011, in public advocacy for the IT channel An overwhelming majority of hospitals and many private practices are jumping at the opportunity to register for federal incentive payments for adoption and meaningful use of certified electronic health records.  Tech companies are proposing their own economic stimulus – more domestic investment in return for lower taxes.  The U.S. Department of Treasury became the first federal agency to use Amazon We ...

With the beginning of the 112th Congress now under way, the IT industry faces many challenges and opportunities.  The job of the our Public Advocacy staff is to make sure that your voice and your concerns are heard in the “People’s House”.  Nevertheless, it is only truly the people’s house if the stories and experiences of the people are what lawmakers hear and read about.  In the immortal words of Jerry Maguire, “help us to help you.”  A ...