CompTIA Blog

In two recent blogs I wrote about increasing the value of a privately-held IT company by reducing some of the risk factors. In this post I’ll focus on the risk of having an excessive concentration in your customer base. Many small businesses can't help but have a handful of customers who generate a large percentage of their revenue. This is often a problem for project-based organizations that handle large initial undertakings for their clients. Buyers will usually review any client relationship ...

The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced its final rule concerning size standards for “Computer Systems Design and Related Services,” on February 10th.   Generally, businesses classified under this category (NAICS 5415) will be considered a small business provided their annual receipts do not exceed $25.5 million, up from $25 million.  The SBA size standard is the main criteria for determining whether a business qualifies for SBA and other government programs and benefits.Types of busin ...

Regardless of how the information security landscape changes, one constant always remains – the human factor. Organizations cite poor decisions by staff as a contributing factor in many security incidents. Some of these poor decisions stem from the failure to follow company security policies, but others are a direct result of insufficient training.According to our data, 41 percent of U.S. organizations report moderate or significant deficiencies in security expertise among their IT staff. Compan ...

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines trust as “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something” and “one in which confidence is placed”. While that description seems pretty straightforward, building that type of relationship in an IT business is actually very complicated. The number of changing variables inside these organizations can easily shift the attention away from customers, so extra efforts are required to stay focused.The difficulty escalates as s ...

"Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life." When Jack Kerouac uttered those words, he was inspiring his generation to see the world and enjoy the carefree life, not drawing attention to a thriving mobile workforce. But his comments do reflect the contemporary solution provider’s life, though their time on the road is more often dictated by business necessity than the need to roam the country.Kerouac’s “beatnik” philosophy ...

Takeaway of the week is another batch of signs pointing to upticks in IT job growth as the fledgling 2012 data trickles in. More IT jobs added overall; mobile apps and such mean more job creation this year; more focus on data storage, networking and mobile apps means more IT spending this year. So, yeah, IT jobs are out there to be had. IT Jobs Out of the Gate Strong in 2012 All sectors of the IT industry showed job growth in the first month of this year, with telecom leading the pack, accordin ...

The 2012 legislative session started off looking very promising for the passage of cybersecurity reform -- then suddenly the landscape shifted. On privacy and intellectual property issues, we saw the Internet companies flex lobbying muscle in an unprecedented way.  Finally, even though 2011 saw more major data breach incidents than previous years, data breach reform may be a long way off. Here’s a quick rundown of the major security-related initiatives that CompTIA is tracking:Cybersecurity Refo ...

A look at the week of February 6 in public advocacy for the IT channel:  This week Reuters looks at how companies that have been victims of cyberattacks are disclosing – or not disclosing – these breaches to investors and the government.  A House panel has approved a cyber bill giving the Department of Homeland Security authority in determining what type of infrastructure requires agency oversight.  Government Health IT explores the future of health IT in a polarized political environment.Hacked ...

Introduced during the last week in the House, three bills aim to increase and strengthen small business participation in government contracting – a goal CompTIA has always supported.  We have reviewed this legislation and believe that a number of provisions would help to direct more government contracting dollars to small businesses.However, we need your input concerning this legislation.  Our goal is determine whether these provisions make sense for your business.  We are especially interested ...

Senators Landrieu and Snowe, chair and ranking member of the Senate Small Business Committee, have introduced legislation (S. 2050, the Small Business Tax Extenders Act of 2012) that would extend certain expired small business tax provisions though 2012.  Some provisions in the bill include: Section 179 expensing limitation of $500,000:  Extended through 2012. Temporary exclusion of 100 percent of gain on small business stock:  Extended through 2012. Five-year carryback of general business credi ...

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion." Muhammad Ali’s quote illustrates the commitment that most successful people make, whether participating in a sport or starting a small business. Boxers of his caliber spend years improving their skills and talent until they get their big break, typically working with a variety of experienced training specialists and coaches who know the ropes. The fights represent a small part of ...

Takeaway of the week is it’s good to be in IT. Granted, that may not be a shared view from the vantage point of some current job-seekers in the sector, but overall indications from the latest batch of surveys, studies and published scribblings show the tech job market to be bubbling, whether it be Silicon Valley titans, burgeoning startups, healthcare providers jumping on the tech bandwagon or countless others. Study: The Cloud Good for IT Job Creation For those who say cloud computing and it ...

A look at the week of January 31 in public advocacy for the IT channel:  This week, a compressive cyber bill under discussion in the Senate has some contractors worried about what they see as government overreach.  President Obama’s Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra stepped down last week, and members of the tech industry have expressed hope that his replacement will continue to engage in public-private partnerships.  Following the State of the Union, tech leaders are calling on President O ...

“Trust is the lubrication that makes it possible for organizations to work.”  That quote from Warren Bennis underscores the importance of building a solid relationship between solution providers (or any business) and their clients. As a pioneer in leadership studies and World War II hero, he wrote extensively about the correlation between trust and success, and emphasized the need for businesses to build confidence with their customers.The toughest thing about creating a quality reputation is th ...

This year, CompTIA continues to follow its ECAP focus, initiated last year, to grow the IT industry worldwide.  Our efforts are centered on Education, Certification, Advocacy and Philanthropy (i.e. ECAP). CompTIA President and CEO Todd Thibodeaux recently discussed how the association is enlarging its reach and taking its programs to the next level.  Why?  To make CompTIA work better for the industry and our members. Hear how we expanding and diversifying our channel traini ...