CompTIA Blog

Veterans desperately need jobs; the IT industry needs skilled workers. CompTIA is urging the supply of motivated veterans to take advantage of the industry demand for skilled IT workers. Veteran unemployment statistics are staggering—850,000 veterans (including 250,000 from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars) can't find work now, and 1 million more veterans are expected to seek to join the civilian work force over the next five years. Joblessness among youngest veterans (those 18 to 24 years ...

Last year, we reported on legislation enacted in Illinois that would shut down many small Internet businesses.  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 collection requirement would apply even though the out-of-state business has no other presence in the state. We refer to this emerging concept as “virtual nexus.”  The advent of thi ...

A recent article on Computerworld led with the less-than-sunny line “IT as we know it is over.” From there, one might expect a discussion on offshoring, consumerization of IT, or the appropriation of IT by business units for their needs. All of these things are part of the equation, but the main focus of the article is that we are entering a third wave for corporate technology.The first wave, management of information services (MIS), started when businesses began using mainframe computers to aut ...

If you say Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, it’s likely that the majority of people will know who you’re talking about, or at least able to name the companies they were instrumental in building. Both are often described as “legends” or “royalty” in the eyes of the IT community, individuals who made their mark in the computer industry and, through their efforts, changed the lives of millions of people. Achieving a level of career distinction in the IT channel is extremely different, with the largest co ...

Now less than six months away from Election Day, campaign season is in full swing.  TV and radio advertising has already begun and candidates are traveling the country raising campaign funds and speaking to large crowds of supporters.  The general election is also becoming clearer after a hotly contested Republican primary.And the Republican Nominee Is …As the Republican presidential field narrows, Governor Mitt Romney is now widely believed to be the presumptive Republican nominee.  Romney has ...

Dan O’Sullivan’s new IT career gives him plenty of diversity in both what he does and whom he works with. Six months after he earned CompTIA A+ and Microsoft certifications, O’Sullivan holds two IT jobs in the United Kingdom. He works for Venatrack, whose software tracks movement in football matches (‘soccer’ matches for American readers) and provides 3D digital playback for post-match analysis. He also provides IT support for Norsk European, an international logistics company.His day-to-day wor ...

Dan O'Sullivan’s new IT career gives him plenty of diversity in both what he does and whom he works with. Six months after he earned CompTIA A+ and Microsoft certifications, O'Sullivan holds two IT jobs in the United Kingdom. He works for Venatrack, whose software tracks movement in football matches ("soccer" matches for American readers) and provides 3D digital playback for post-match analysis. He also provides IT support for Norsk European, an international logistics company. His day-to-day wo ...

“Entrepreneurs innovate. Innovation is the specific instrument of entrepreneurship. It is the act that endows resources with a new capacity to create wealth.” That quote from the celebrated management theorist Peter Drucker illustrates not only the business opportunities available for manufacturers (such as IT vendors), but emphasizes that a distinct process is needed for solution providers, distributors and other professionals to get the most out of their creativity.You don’t have to invent the ...

Takeaway of the week is another shout-out for that seemingly superhero IT pro who can wrangle big data - i.e. the elusive data scientist. Also on tap is another survey that shares some good and some bad about those working in IT, a generation shift the industry has created in India and a virtual invitation for techies with a hankering to relocate to the Emerald Isle. Survey: IT Pros a Hot Commodity If findings from a recent survey commissioned by a recruitment firm are correct, IT professionals ...

A look at the week of April 30 in public advocacy for the IT channel: This week, the House passed CISPA, a controversial Republican-backed cybersecurity bill.  The House also passed several other bills relating to cybersecurity, including the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act, which increases funding for education and R&D to confront cyberthreats.  Rick Pollack, executive vice president of the American Hospital Association, sent a letter to Health and Human Services saying that electronic medica ...

The “Internet of Things” is rapidly becoming a very real phenomenon. IBM has one of the most aggressive outlooks for connected devices, predicting one trillion by the year 2015. These devices, which will take advantage of advances in miniaturization, processing power, and networking capability, will be able to collect vast amounts of data for analysis. From smart cities to smart homes, from applications in weather to applications in healthcare, these networks of sensors and devices are poised to ...

Are your vendor partners communicating effectively with you? That’s just one of the questions behind CompTIA’s second annual State of Channel Partner Programs study, a research project that examines the relationship between channel firms, the IT vendors they work with and the partner programs they participate in. Fielded in March, the online survey sought the perspective of 400 IT channel companies -- running the gamut from hardware resellers to MSPs to consultants. The results reveal a number o ...

Until recently, the cloud for solution providers was a lot like an NFL draft prospect to their future team: a lot of discussion and tremendous potential, but no tangible results. But it’s really more than just a “buzz word” bandied about by the tech community to confuse end-users and reduce channel margin. Cloud services are finally becoming a significant source of revenue and business growth for solution providers and vendors. It’s become readily apparent over the past few years that there’s a ...

Research indicates that young women are underrepresented in disciplines like computer science because they frequently don't know much about it, don't think it’s interesting, don't think they could ever be successful at it, or can't envision themselves involved with it. So if colleges, vocational-technical programs and high schools want to attract more young women to computer science, they have to proactively change that mindset, advises Maria Klawe, computer scientist, mathematician and presiden ...

A look at the week of April 23 in public advocacy for the IT channel:  This week, the House will review four cybersecurity bills, including the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA).  A new small business tax cut was approved by the House this week.  National Journal looks at the role of the House Homeland Security Committee in evaluating cyber legislation.House Boots Up 'Cyber Week'— The House is set to vote on four cybersecurity bills during what lawmakers have dubbed "cyber we ...