CompTIA Blog

Takeaway of the week is an early holiday gift for the IT professional and job seeker alike. More reports, surveys and such are building on the perception that IT pros, especially those with specialty skills such as mainframe, Java and Android programming, will be big-ticket needs for firms in the coming year.   2012 Looks Bright for Tech Pros, New Survey Suggests A new report by Dice.com suggests IT pros can expect a greater demand for their skills and less layoffs in the coming year. ...

The New Life Organization (NEWLO) in St. John, Grenada, may not look like much of a computer training hub from the outside.But inside one of the school’s two computer labs, instructor Seldon Walker, 26, is walking a group of 11 young Grenadians through the CompTIA Strata curriculum. Here the students (most of them in their late teens) are learning about principles of customer service — central to any IT career a student could hope to attain.Seldon Walker got involved, in part, to reduce the stig ...

CompTIA member Lester Keizer is CEO of Xilocore, a Las Vegas-based business continuity and disaster recovery services company that works exclusively with the channel partner community.  A long-time advocate of CompTIA, he has contributed to a number of the association’s initiatives and groups over the years and serves as a member of  the current Board of Directors.Prior to leading the Xilocore team, Keizer was CEO of Ron Cook’s Connecting Point and oversaw the company’s transformation from a pro ...

Most people have an innate need to connect with others, to enjoy the company of like individuals or those with similar interests. Whether that involves being part of a neighborhood kickball team or joining an elite country club, each assembly provides a certain level of gratification for it members. The value of each group we belong to can vary significantly, but each has to provide some positive effect to keep its constituents coming back.Personal relationships are important for individual grow ...

A look at the week of December 5 in public advocacy for the IT channel: This week, States urge Congress to address the issue of sales tax in online commerce.  Senate Democrats introduced a new payroll tax bill to Republican criticism.  A House cyber bill recommends creating a clearinghouse to share data between the government and private sector. Congress Urged to Close Online Sales-Tax Loophole — State officials and some retailers urged Congress to finally close a loophole that they say benefits ...

This is the time of year when most companies are working full speed on their 2012 business plans, from setting sales and marketing objectives to estimating the upcoming operational and capital investment needs. December is also the holiday season for many, but the work never stops for solution providers and others in the IT industry. In addition to building budgets and plans for the New Year, the push is on to meet and exceed annual revenue goals before the end of the month. That’s on top of the ...

The technology available today allows even the smallest, emerging solution provider to offer and support a large portfolio of services and products. Managed services and the cloud are just two of the innovations making that possible, each leveraging the Internet to deliver valuable solutions for the business community. Using these delivery models, virtually any solution provider can support a substantial number of clients with almost every type of service, and not just locally.When VARs and MSPs ...

Interesting times we have in the IT industry. New business models, new economic realities and new customer buying patterns warrant a pretty serious look at business transformation, especially in the channel. There’s simply no denying that the way IT goods and services are sold, delivered and managed is undergoing a foundational shift from product transactions to solutions- and services-oriented selling. What isn’t so certain is the roadmap for change. Nobody – not IT vendors, solution providers ...

As a young boy in Mexico, Iván Loyo developed an interest in technology that was allowed to flourish into a way of life through persistence and voracious consumption of learning opportunities. Now as instructor at one of his country’s leading technology schools, Loyo is witness to a new generation of technological awakening fueled by a partnership with CompTIA, the IT industry’s global trade association. Campus Ciudad de México (Mexico City) of the venerable Tecnológico de Monterrey multi-site u ...

Takeaway of the week is that we may be presented with more evidence that cloud computing and mobile technology are must-have skills and expertise for the IT job-seeker - with explosive potential for 2012, but it could be just as important to expand that technical skill set to include real-world business skills.   Forrester: Cloud Computing Makes More Inroads in 2012 By next year, more businesses will have knowledge and interest in the notion of cloud computing, which is both good and ...

CompTIA released its updated CompTIA Network+ exam (English only, initially) on Dec. 1. The revised Network+ objectives address virtual networking and give increased attention to network security and coverage of the seven-layer OSI (Open System Interconnection) model. Click here to download a breakdown of exactly what is covered on the new exam. CompTIA updates the Network+ certification every three years to maintain its ISO/ANSI accreditation. The revisions to Network+ track with the change ...

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced several changes to encourage the adoption of electronic health records, specifically by delaying Stage 2 of meaningful use standards by one year.  According to HHS, “to encourage faster adoption, the Secretary announced that HHS intends to allow doctors and hospitals to adopt health IT this year, without meeting the new standards until 2014. Doctors who act quickly can also qualify for incentive payments in 2011 as well a ...

A look at the week of November 28 in public advocacy for the IT channel: This week, the arrival of new Department of Homeland Security Deputy Undersecretary for Cybersecurity Mark Weatherford might lead to greater cooperation between DHS and the intelligence community.  Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) wants to attach cyber legislation to the defense authorization bill.  The Department of Defense is seeing significant savings in consolidating IT.Cybersecurity Expert Hails New DHS Cyber Chief — New Depa ...

As the year comes to a close, two of the most popular activities are looking back at what just happened and looking ahead to what we expect for the New Year. Thinking back on the big IT trends from this year, it’s interesting to look forward at how those will continue to grow and what effect they will have on IT departments and solution providers.Three of the largest trends shaping the IT landscape right now are: Cloud, Mobility and Social solutions.Cloud is changing the way IT approaches infras ...

The other day I went to the doctor. As usual, I was a few minutes late. This was my first visit to this particular doctor and when I checked in the receptionist told me that I would have to reschedule and come back another time. At first I was somewhat confused, since it was an early appointment and it was not my fault that I got stuck in traffic! I asked her why I could not be seen now and she responded, “Why should the other patients be told to wait an additional 15-20 minutes for their schedu ...