CompTIA Blog

On Wednesday at the Cloud Connect conference, I heard two statements presented that I didn’t quite agree with. The first was that “cloud is nothing new.” I’ve heard this statement before, and I think people who make it are mostly trying to make the point that client/server architectures have existed before. That much is true, but there is clearly something new about cloud computing, and I believe that something is the amount of disintermediation that has taken place. Many ...

It’s been a few weeks now and that check engine light is still illuminated on your dashboard. Your car seems to be working just fine, but that little orange reminder is nagging at you to get your car checked out. Who do you take your car to? Mechanic A looks good enough, but can you really trust him? Mechanic B looks just as good as the first, but he has an official designation of quality – something you know means his business will be efficient and honest. It’s no brainer &nda ...

The theme for Cloud Connect in Santa Clara this week is the growth of cloud as a platform for building IT solutions. In some ways, this means that cloud becomes a secondary consideration behind the specific solutions being built. John O’Farrell, general partner with Andreessen Horowitz, said the venture capital firm frequently takes cloud for granted as it evaluates investment options, a sentiment that was also shared by CompTIA in our 2013 IT Industry Outlook. As a platform, cloud computi ...

Last week, the New York Court of Appeals ruled in a case brought by Amazon and Overstock.com that non-resident sellers offering products through a New York website will be required to collect New York sales taxes on sales made into the state. This collection requirement would apply even though the out-of-state business has no other presence in the state. In its ruling, the court analogized selling through a New York-based website to having a physical present in the state: “ … if a v ...

The SMSP course is definitely an eye opener. With how much social media has taken over, it is important to be fully aware of the capabilities along with all the risks it brings. Wilder Guerra, information systems technician, U.S. Navy The UKI Social Media Security Professional (SMSP) certification, powered by CompTIA, will be available on April 9. The SMSP certification designates professionals with demonstrated technical knowledge of social networking platforms, as well as the skills to ...

The ongoing convergence of IT and telecom technologies, as well as the decision-making preferences of the customer, continue to drive more partnerships between traditional IT channel firms and the telecom agent channel. Both communities are looking to provide customers with an end-to-end solution encompassing both telecom and IT and have found that joining forces and blending skill-sets can be an efficient way to achieve this aim. That’s the conclusion of many respondents to CompTIA and Ch ...

People typically buy from those they trust and most industries recognize the companies that do more to earn that type of confidence from their customers. Perhaps that’s why business credentials have become more prominent in the IT community, with solution providers and vendors looking for new ways to validate the processes they put in place to offer top-quality services and products. After all, few accolades speak as loudly to current and prospective customers and other business partners as an e ...

Managing your online image is important for job hunters, experts advise. "Let your public images be more professional and not open to misinterpretation," says Scot Melland, CEO of Dice Holdings. Google yourself. What do you find? Will it help you get your next job? If not, it's time to sharpen your online image. Human resource departments and staffing firms are increasingly going online to vet and find new employees. Scot Melland, CEO of Dice Holdings, says, "Managing your online persona ...

Tracy Bicknell-Holmes, professor and engineering librarian at University of Nebraska-Lincoln created an online image management microsite for UNL students and staff, but it's publicly available and you can use it to. Clicking through the tabs of Bicknell-Holmes' website, you will find: Slide, audio and video presentations about managing your online presence by a wide variety of experts Direct links to multiple search engines (including Twitter, Dogpile, Google Blogs, Social Mention, and beyond ...

Congressman J. Randy Forbes (R-VA) has prepared a draft data breach notification bill that serves as the best effort this year to eliminate the patchwork of state data breach notification laws. The bill would require “entities that acquire, maintain, store or utilize personal information” to report a data breach of customer information within 14 days of the breach. An entity that provides customer notice would be considered in compliance with the proposed rule.The proposed rule also would impose ...

Mary Ellen Foye, right, is congratulated on her graduation from the Per Scholas Women in Tech program from instructor Maureen Monaghan. Earning the CompTIA A+ certification is an accomplishment in itself. But Mary Ellen Foye went above and beyond that goal, earning perfect scores on both tests. This puts her in the top 2% of CompTIA A+ certified professionals. For the former nurse, this perfect score was a perfect surprise. "I had used computers as a healthcare professional," said Mary El ...

Yesterday the House Subcommittee on Health and Technology held a hearing titled “Protecting Small Businesses Against Emerging and Complex Cyber-Attacks.” CompTIA’s own Dan Shapero, founder of ClikCloud, participated on a panel comprised of the following speakers: William H. Weber, senior vice president, general counsel, Cbeyond, Atlanta – testifying on behalf of the COMPTEL. Justin Freeman, corporate counsel, Rackspace, San Antonio, TX – testifying on behalf of ...

As a father of three, I want my daughters to have the same career and life opportunities as my son will enjoy and vice-versa. Everyone should have a chance to pursue the vocation of their choice based on their aptitude and inclinations; regardless of their skin color, gender or lineage. While they may face a variety of challenges along the way, discrimination is a hurdle no one should encounter in 2013.Perhaps that’s a reason why during Women’s History Month, so many workplace and IT industry di ...

The U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means is continuing its work to develop a consensus on tax reform. Last month, chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) and ranking member Sandy Levin (D-MI) announced that 11 committee working groups would be formed to develop discussion drafts on various aspects of tax reform. Just last week, one of these working groups issued a Discussion Draft on Tax Reform for Small Businesses. While this draft does include a permanent extension of section 179 small business expensing, ...

John Hlavac, Tricia Wurts and Aaron Woods were honored for their work helping create the CompTIA A+ certification exam at the CompTIA Annual Member meeting in 2011. More than 925,000 people have earned the CompTIA A+ certification for IT technicians during the past 20 years, but the very first was Patrick Farley, a training systems developer for Compaq's server tech support, who was certified on March 19, 1993. "At the time, we hadn't focused on any PC certifications, just on a number o ...