CompTIA Blog

Typically the week after the Consumer Electronics Show is rather mild for IT channel news, with the vendors and many VARs returning home and getting back to their day jobs. This year was different with a rather unusual timing for a consumer-oriented, but business-beneficial iPhone/Verizon announcement. While that news started a firestorm of blog and social media posts, several other notable topics hit the wires as well.   iPhone Rumors Come to an End (Finally!)It was the announcement many have b ...

A look at the week of January 10, 2011, in public advocacy for the IT channel This week, the Senate moves forward with efforts to repeal the 1099 provision.  The House is considering legislation to enable foreign students studying science and technology to remain in the U.S. for work following graduation.  Construction began on a new $1.2-billion national cyber center in Utah.  As electronic medical record adoption gains steam, the Department of Health & Human Services plans ...

Despite claims to the contrary, most IT engineers aren’t born with the ability to rebuild a server or construct a computer network. Gaining those skills typically requires a significant investment in time and access to the resources of a professional training organization. In an industry where the product and service portfolios change with (what seems like) the speed of light, gaining a comprehensive understanding of computer systems, network infrastructures, and even document imaging can be a s ...

It’s a new year and a new legislative agenda prevails in the House. Fred Upton (R-MI) is the new chairman of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, and he has named his subcommittee chairs: Subcommittee on Manufacturing and Trade Chair Mary Bono Mack (R-CA), Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chair Greg Walden (R-OR), Subcommittee on Energy and Power Chair Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy Chair John Shimkus (R-IL), Subcommittee on Health Chair Joe ...

When you think of powerful lobbies on Capitol Hill, how come the IT industry doesn't come immediately to mind? No industry in the U.S., or the world for that matter, plays such a diverse and integrated role in the global economy. Nor has any other industry done more to advance society to this point while continuing to raise the bar for a better future. Is it ignorance on the part of legislators? Is the IT industry just taken for granted because it is so pervasive? Has it been by design? Has the ...

On December 17th, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first successful heavier than air flight, launching the aviation age and giving the world a glimpse of what was to come. Many aviation pioneers would quickly follow the Wright brothers in a “race” to best the previous record, whether the marker was time in the air, speed, distance or one of the many other categories.Charles Lindbergh became the first pilot to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic on May 20th, 1927. Just a year later, Ame ...

A look at the week of January 3, 2011, in public advocacy for the IT channel This week, the Defense Department is launching a program to exchange employees with private sector contractors in order to increase workers’ experience and knowledge of the cybersecurity field.  Registration for the EMR incentive program, developed as part of the 2009 economic stimulus package, opens this week.  Smaller companies plan to expand use of cloud computing technology to take advantage of low ...

The week between Christmas and New Year’s is always slow. Salespeople closed their last minute deals of the year before the holidays. Executive teams and staffers take well-deserved winter respites. And the Channel-Lands fall as quiet as a New England hallow covered in blanket of solstice snow. OK, that’s a lame attempt at alliteration to say not much was happening this week. So, rather than recounting the top stories of the week, let’s take a gander at some of the obligatory lists of the top st ...

You don’t need to go to medical school to figure out the potential bonanza in healthcare technology. Fueled by the Obama administration’s healthcare reform agenda and billions of dollars in federal stimulus money, modernization of the antiquated paper-based recordkeeping system used by physicians, clinicians and hospitals will happen at a frenzied pace in the coming year and beyond. But let’s correct one of those last statements: paper-based recordkeeping. It’s a bit of ...

The tax bill sailed through both the Senate and House during the lame duck session and was signed into law on December 17.  The “Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010” is a $859 billion bill that extends the Bush tax cuts for two years and sets the estate tax at 35 percent for estates exceeding $5 million through 2012. For many businesses, a big disappointment was Congress’ failure to use this bill to repeal the onerous Form 1099 reporting requirement, ...

The great blizzard of 2010 has socked the Northeast. More than one-foot of snow layers the landscape between Philadelphia and Boston. So treacherous were the conditions that major highways were shut down, airports closed and sporting events rescheduled. Homebound residents glued to their televisions for weather updates were warned of potential power outages as winds whipped to speeds upward of 60 mph. So, here’s the funny part: In the event of a power outage, utility companies were asking subscr ...

Like the rest of the world, the Channel-Lands’ questions about how the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would act on the Net Neutrality issue were finally answered. Unfortunately, few people were happy with what the feds said. For what was supposed to be a slow week leading into the Christmas holiday, Net Neutrality was just one of the big news stories to hit the Channel-Lands this week.Net Neutrality Ruling Makes Few HappyThe FCC made official its much-anticipated ruling that prohibits I ...

The days leading up to the December holidays are usually filled with closing end-of-the-year sales, cleaning up the financial ledgers and office parties. It’s typically not the time of year when key channel leaders are moving around or changing jobs. But this holiday season seems to be the exception.On Monday, Lenovo SMB channel chief Jay McBain surprised the industry by announcing his resignation from the PC vendor. His destination isn’t exactly a closely guarded secret, but it’s not public as ...

A look at the week of December 21, 2010, in public advocacy for the IT channelUncertainty surrounding healthcare legislation makes investors wary about IT forecasts in the coming year.  As the government increases its use of cloud computing, the Department of Commerce is calling for a users’ “Bill of Rights” for cloud computing.  New legislation would make the U.S. a more attractive destination for foreign entrepreneurs.Legislative Uncertainty Worries IT Investors – Venture capitalists are bulli ...

Microsoft snuck out a second version of its Security Essential 2.0 application over the weekend, adding linkage to the embedded Windows Firewall. The early indications are Microsoft is moving to make MSE a more complete software security suite for home and small business users. The ultimate result could be more channel security opportunities.Microsoft has made no bones about its intentions to become a major player in the security marketplace. Through product development and acquisitions over the ...