CompTIA Blog

When Obama was elected president, there was a slight kerfuffle about whether he would be allowed to continue to use his Blackberry. As you may or not know, BlackBerrys are the lifeblood of congressional communication, and during his tenure in the senate (and probably before that), he became addicted. As the story goes, he was able to keep his Blackberry with some additional encryption and even picked up an iPad along the way. But those are just gadgets. What I’m really waiting for is the nation’ ...

Hiring forecasts are typically done years, not months, in advance. How then does one factor the twists and turns of real life into the mix? By having long-range predictions and latest studies at your fingertips to make informed career decisions. Which is exactly what we’ve tried to do here. As 2011 stutter-steps to a conclusion, good news can be found on balance sheets of some of the largest and most influential IT companies in the U.S.: income and revenue remains high with signs for continued ...

The tech world watched yesterday as Apple held a keynote to announce several new products. Most analysts were expecting the iPhone 5 to be revealed, but the major iPhone reveal was an iPhone 4S. Although this device has some significant upgrades—such as the ability to function on either GSM or CDMA networks—most reviewers were disappointed in the lack of a major revision to the product line. However, looking past the specific device that was announced, there are three themes for the near future ...

A look at the week of October 3 in public advocacy for the IT channel: This week, a new report by the Government Accountability Office found that sensitive data in a number of federal agencies remains greatly at risk.  The U.S. remains the most competitive nation for IT despite economic troubles.  The Obama Administration has designated October as National Cybersecurity Awareness month and will be conducting events across the country to promote cyber safety.GAO: Federal Data at Cyber Risk — Sens ...

CompTIA member Linda Lynch is president and co-owner of the KI Technology Group, an East Lansing, Mich.-based technology consulting organization. She has been an advocate of the channel, a mentor to many in the IT community and was appointed to the CompTIA Board of Directors in January this year.As if Lynch wasn’t busy enough building and leading a successful technology consulting firm, she’s also been extremely active in her neighborhood. She serves on the board of Capital Area United Way, is a ...

In my previous post I wrote about growing your sales as the surest way to increase the value of your business.  The second method to boost your profitability is to lower your cost of goods sold (COGS) and expenses. Here are some ways to reduce your costs and increase your bottom-line revenue—and thereby increase your value. Budget and monitor expenses - Managing the expenses of a business is a process that most owners understand. But as the organization gets bigger, the effort to manage expenses ...

For every phrase which begins with the words “the economy may have stalled, but...” seems to end with positive news for the IT industry. It’s a new take on an old adage: “If you don’t have anything nice to say about the economy, at least say something nice about the IT labor market.”Demand for Managed Security Services Remains HighA frenzied shift to use more mobile devices and cloud computing together with an increased number of security threats worldwide means more work in the coming years for ...

There is a touching duet recently released by JayZ and Kanye West which expresses not only their admiration for themselves as rap artists, but their admiration for cars as well. (Though I'm being tongue-in-cheek, I have to admit I enjoy the song and video a lot.)Something we all have to admit: The music industry has done a very good job communicating what lies at the end of the rainbow for those who are successful in their business.Of course, the number of people who actually receive big money a ...

For every phrase which begins with the words “the economy may have stalled, but...” seems to end with positive news for the IT industry. It’s a new take on an old adage: “If you don’t have anything nice to say about the economy, at least say something nice about the IT labor market.” Demand for Managed Security Services Remains High A frenzied shift to use more mobile devices and cloud computing together with an increased number of security threats worldwide means more work in the coming years ...

The week is full of mobility news, from the latest iPhone launch date to the upcoming rollout of Amazon’s new tablet. But why is there so much fascination for solution providers and channel vendors? On the surface, the biggest opportunities seem to be in the sale of the consumer products, getting the latest devices and cool apps in the hands of millions of adoring fans.This basically breaks down into two camps, the Apple enthusiasts and the fans of everything else. That’s not a slam on the compa ...

When you hear cries from voters for their politicians to take bold steps to meet challenges, I’m never sure what that means, and I find myself almost always being disappointed. Here's my take. I'll frame it in the context of what is and isn’t bold from one man’s perspective.On corporate taxes…Bold is the wholesale elimination of the corporate tax. “Eliminate the tax, eliminate the loopholes” has the result of eliminating 90 percent of the tax distortions inherent in the system. While you’re at i ...

CompTIA’s first D.C. Fly-In is just around the corner, and we hope you will be able to join us in Washington, November 1-3. This event gives you a rare opportunity to meet with your Members of Congress, staff and officials from pertinent government agencies, while also learning about CompTIA’s advocacy efforts. Registration is available online.CompTIA member Linda Lynch understands the importance of getting involved which is why she will be in Washington, D.C., on November 1st for the CompTIA D. ...

CompTIA member Scott Barlow is vice president of sales and product management for Reflexion Networks Inc, a hosted email service vendor headquartered in Woburn, Mass. As a contributor and leader of several CompTIA Communities over the years, he brings a wealth of knowledge and extensive partner program experience to CompTIA's initiatives for advancing the IT industry. Barlow understands the solution provider business model and enthusiastically promotes programs he believes will benefit not only ...

Who will protect the nation’s power grid?   Experts involved in the University of Tulsa (TU) Cyber Corps program say the task demands IT workers at all levels with the right combination of education, training, hands-on experience, and just as important, fierce desire to constantly learn and stay steps ahead of would-be attackers.Attracting talent from the nation’s youngest generation, for whom technology is a way of life, and pro-actively engaging males and females in cybersecurity careers, will ...

A look at the week of September 26 in public advocacy for the IT channel: This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved three controversial data breach bills.  Spending cuts might limit the government’s ability to transition to cloud computing and take advantage of long-term cost savings.  A new Senate bill aims to stop large firms from pirating federal contracts meant for small businesses.Panel Approves Data-Breach Bills Despite Partisan Rancor — The Senate Judiciary Committee approved thr ...