CompTIA Blog

“Shall we play a game?”  asked a young Matthew Broderick’s computer in the 1983 hit movie War Games.  The computer’s creepy synthetic voice and the underlying current of the Cold War conveyed the seriousness of this seemingly innocent question.  Three decades later, CompTIA – the leading IT trade association – is asking the same question.  And while the stakes aren’t as high as global thermonuclear war, to the small business owners wh ...

Last week, we blogged about our Getting America Back To Work program.  Here is a bit more information on how to get involved if you’re an individual who is interested in pursuing a career in IT.Your first step is to find the nearest One-Stop Career Center to by going to http://www.servicelocator.org/. If your One-Stop Career Center is unfamiliar with the Program refer them to http://www.comptia.org/certifications/backtowork.aspx to find technical assessment tools, CompTIA certification training ...

The opportunities for VARs in the HealthIT segment are plentiful and growing.  There is an influx of resources from the federal stimulus package and an intensified focus on building solid infrastructure to support healthcare reform.  These trends represent tremendous opportunities for you if you know how to capitalize on them.In the coming months, we will be writing a series of articles and creating resources, toolkits, research and educational materials to help you better understand the healthc ...

The channel is embracing social media in a number of ways and not just for staying in touch with partners or vendors but for commerce as well! As your industry trade association, if we’re going to help you make sense of it all we need to get onboard too.Things are changing at CompTIA to better serve our members and the channel as a whole. And while I welcome your calls, emails and notes on any topic this blog will hopefully provide you the chance to stay up-to-date on a more regular basis.I invi ...

CompTIA launched today a new initiative aimed at boosting high-tech employment opportunities. CompTIA’s Getting America Back to Work initiative will assist local Workforce Investment Boards across the country and their “One-Stop Centers” to help individuals with adequate technical aptitude gain the training and certifications needed to secure IT jobs. The program is designed to streamline the process that Workforce Investment Boards and One-Stop Centers use to place unemployed individuals, caree ...

One of my favorite sections of the Harvard Business Review is the case study. It’s the business version of the Kobayashi Maru, a no-win situation that forces you to think about the best of bad options. The October 2009 issue featured a case study titled, When Hackers Turn to Blackmail. Intriguing enough, but the fun begins when you delve in and learn that it’s a hospital being blackmailed over access to their electronic medical records. With lives potentially at stake, the drama unfolds. Who sai ...

There is no shortage of blogs, especially within the IT industry.  This blog will be different.  As your trade association, we work hard to identify the issues that are most important to you and to deliver working solutions to your problems.  CompTIA Blog is where you can share your issues and find our solutions.You may be asking yourself "How is this blog unlike those hosted by for-profit channel solution providers?" As a not-for-profit trade association, we invest millions of dollars every yea ...

A cloud is rolling over the IT industry... a computing cloud that is!  Most believe that this cloud will hang over the IT industry for many years to come.  You may be thinking about the many new challenges this cloud presents.  Some common concerns include: How do I build trust in the security features of the cloud?  How do I integrate applications from various cloud providers?  Is a proprietary or affiliate business model best for me?  Do I have the technical and business skills needed to succe ...

Building trust with customers is key to building your business and improving the reputation of the IT industry.  So how does one attain trust in the marketplace?  Well, there are many ways to approach this often difficult task including building a close relationship with a customer over a long period of time, performing above and beyond expectations for a customer and being very careful with your billing practices. Another option is to obtain training and accreditation from a trusted, neutral tr ...

There’s no doubt the global IT industry can churn out the news. We’re inundated with news sites, blogs, magazines and opinions on a daily basis. CompTIA has been doing its part to help make sense of it all through our daily SmartBrief newsletter (click here to subscribe) launched several months ago. In a very short time, SmartBrief has seen its audience grow from zero to some 50,000. Subscribers like it because it brings all their favorite sites and feeds together in one easy to use format right ...

There are many types of communities.  Some exist online, some involve meetings in the neighborhood where you live and some simply refer to a similarly situated group.  So what is and isn't a CompTIA Community and why should you get involved?It Isn't About the MediumA CompTIA Community doesn't refer to a communication medium such as online discussion boards or face-to-face meetings.  In fact, CompTIA is striving to facilitate community communication in various forms including face-to-face meeting ...

Several high schools, community colleges and universities touted their tech career curricula during October, highlighting the incorporation of CompTIA certification exams into their programs.Villanova University launched a new program in information security management targeted at government workers. The master certificate program incorporates skill areas contained in the latest CompTIA Security+ exam. (Villanova University Unveils New Online Government IS Security Program, Reuters, Oct. 1, 2009 ...

An Oct. 21 news release announced the worldwide availability of the CompTIA Strata IT Technology exam, which measures an individual’s knowledge of basic IT terminology and technology. The release was carried by more than 30 media outlets, including the Dallas Morning News and MarketWatch.com. ...

The CompTIA Industry Mentors Program was highlighted in a story from eChannelLine, a media outlet that covers IT channel business in North America. The story noted that the program offers CompTIA members access to a panel of experts who can answer tough questions that have a daily impact on business operations and success. (CompTIA unwraps new member resources, eChannelLine, Oct. 1, 2009) Other stories on the program were published by dBusinessNews Chicago and Certification Magazine. ...

CompTIA executives participated in several media interviews in October to get the word out about career opportunities in the IT industry.During a media tour to Washington, D.C., Todd Thibodeaux spoke with Washington Times tech writer Mark Kellner and delivered the message that there are tech jobs to be had by workers with the right skill sets. "Other than health care, information technology has more jobs open than any other sector," he said. (KELLNER: Technology sector hiring, expanding, Washing ...