CompTIA Blog

It seems like every time you turn around, a new device or technology is capturing the attention of the business world (as well consumers). Unfortunately, each seems to bring with it a new IT security threat requiring additional diligence on the part of users, and expertise from channel partners. Take Apple’s iPad as a prime example. Before it had even launched, concerns were circulating about its weak Wi-Fi encryption, lack of device wipe features, and susceptibility to malware through the iTune ...

What if a construction company decided to repeatedly add new floors to a building without reviewing the strength of the current structure? The potential for a major catastrophe (collapse) will escalate exponentially with each new block or board added to the infrastructure. That’s why they test and evaluate the current situation (building) before designing the next steps. The same philosophy should be applied to a business’ financial situation; get a full evaluation of the organization’s fiscal m ...

With SaaS and cloud computing capturing the attention of the IT industry and the community at large, significant issues are moving to the forefront. Security, downtime, connection speeds, and legal compliance concerns all need to be addressed while adoption continues to climb. In order for the IT channel to provide quality service and support of cloud computing, education and related resources must be developed, and a dialogue among industry constituents is a great place to start.CompTIA and its ...

Five more weeks until we meet at Breakaway in San Antonio.  For me, that means I got 5 weeks to figure out who I want to see, which sessions will mean the most to my business and which vendors might have the best opportunities for helping me make new profits.  It also means I've got 5 weeks to lose another 8 pounds -- in my "get healthy" bet with some other colleagues.I'm not sure MyBreakaway can help me keep from raiding the refrigerator at midnight or splurging on ice cream at the pool, but I ...

In business, you must have your elevator pitch down.  Most of the time you get a max of 30 seconds to catch someone's attention.Got your pitch down?  Now can you take it to a video level? Let's put it to the test.  Attendees and sponsors at Breakaway, grab a video camera and pitch your company, new product, innovative solution or recently announced application in 3 minutes or less.  Do you have what it takes to differentiate yourself from the competition?Vendor sponsors, your submissions should ...

Let’s flash back to the 1980s, when channel resellers were receiving healthy margins selling OEM equipment to small and mid-sized businesses. Over time, those profit percentages were eroded by competitive forces and manufacturers looking to improve their bottom line. That was one factor that caused many resellers to evolve their business model, becoming VARs (value added resellers). In this adaptation of the IT channel, providers gradually discovered increased profitability not from the sale of ...

Note: This is the sixth of eight blog entries in which I examine managed services best practices identified in the CompTIA MSP Partners 2010 market research.We’ve all heard the expression “it takes money to take money” and tacitly nod our head in agreement; best in class MSPs don’t simply concur, they pull out their wallets and invest in building a world class services practice. Our 2010 research clearly shows that the most successful MSPs spend more of their top line revenue (as a percentage) o ...

After incorporation, many small businesses make a federal tax election know as a “subchapter S” election; these businesses are then typically referred to as an “S corporation”.  The benefit of an S corporation election is that the entity can “pass-through” corporate income, losses, deductions and credits to its shareholders. That is, the shareholders pay the applicable federal tax at their individual tax rates; the corporation itself does not pay a tax (except in some situations such as built-in ...

Members of the CompTIA EU IT Services and Support Forum gathered at the Computacenter facilities in Kerpen, Germany (near Cologne) this week for a face-to-face quarterly community meeting. Attendees came from near and far (including Azerbaijan!) to discuss the latest opportunities and challenges in the technology services industry, as well as elect members to executive council positions.As each member made their introduction, they were asked to share their reasons for attending the IT Services a ...

Hundreds of leaders in the IT channel are descending on San Antonio this August for our annual Breakaway event.  How do you capture one-on-one time with your key partners with so much going on?  Hear from Xerox and InFocus on how they support Creating Futures through its charity golf classic -- showing their support for the future IT workforce and optimizing their networking opportunities at Breakaway.  It's a win-win for all.View the video on how to jumpstart your networking at Breakaway.Ready ...

Most Solution Providers go into business because they love technology. The problem is, running a technology business is often more about managing the business than managing the technology. Human resources is a perfect illustration of this point. The average entrepreneurial solution provider doesn’t have a lot of experience in creating a job description; but you can’t get too far along in your business before you need to put one together. Once your staff is on board, they will likely have what se ...

There's true power in numbers, and the CompTIA Educational Foundation is looking to create some powerful philanthropy numbers.  Not just with fundraising as you may think, but with bringing the philathropic power players together. We're hosting a first-ever IT Philanthropy Summit with key technology foundation leaders to help set the future direction of philanthropy in the IT industry.  The peer-to-peer planning summit will be held August 12 during our annual Breakaway conference in San Antonio, ...

While Health Care Reform legislation was signed into law by President Obama earlier this year, its effect on small businesses is yet to be determined.  In fact, while the legislation has more pages than War and Peace, the regulations that will be drafted in the next few years which will define the details of the reform law will probably be in the neighborhood of 75,000 to 100,000 pages!  It is no wonder that the picture for small business remains murky when the regulatory paper blizz ...

It is no surprise that the weight of the recession caused headaches and elevated stress across the IT channel during the last 12 to 18 months. A recent survey of solution providers conducted with our partner ChannelForce reveals just how broad a blow the economic downturn struck. More than three-quarters of survey respondents reported that the recession impacted their businesses either significantly or moderately. Just 22 percent said they experienced no impact at all.But what’s most interesting ...

Note: This is the fifth of eight blog entries in which I examine managed services best practices identified in the CompTIA MSP Partners 2010 market research.I have met some very good negotiators in my day, but the very best I have encountered are children. Considering that they have almost nothing to bargain with and occupy a position of little power, kids have an innate ability to negotiate and ultimately get what they want. My teenagers are masters at working mom and dad (and if necessary, gra ...