CompTIA Blog

Many like to consider Canada and the U.S. as a single entity when it comes to economics and trade, as well as a number of other lifestyle and business considerations. After all, the two countries share similar lineages and inhabit the same continent. Of course, those who have spent time in Canada understand that it has its own strong political and economic identity, not to mention distinct provinces and territories, each with its own unique challenges and opportunities. It’s a beautiful co ...

Last week, in Congress, the patent reform debate kicked into high gear with the movement of several bills aimed at curbing abusive patent litigation. In the House Judiciary Committee, “the Innovation Act” (HR 3309), which was introduced by Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) last month, went through the markup process on Wednesday. The final strong bi-partisan vote of 33 to 5 sent the bill to the House floor. During markup, Goodlatte’s own manager’s amendmen ...

You can argue that some of the ideas behind cloud computing aren’t new. Different models such as client-server computing or time sharing have used some of the same concepts. But the cloud model is unique and disruptive, and we have recently witnessed a strong acceleration of this trend toward maturity. In our latest edition of “Trends in Cloud Computing,” we show that today’s cloud has quickly evolved from a hopelessly overused buzzword into a permanent new technology mod ...

On Wednesday, November 20, CompTIA hosted a webinar focused on workforce initiatives that are working. The thinking here is to look at what is not being done, instead of analyzing the successes and whether or not those successes can be scalable. We were fortunate to have three excellent speakers: Angel Pinero, senior vice president at ASI System Integration (and a CompTIA member); Heather Kenyon, president and CEO of the Tampa Bay Technology Forum (a TechVoice partner organization); and Eric Lar ...

After last week’s House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on “Challenges and Opportunities in the 5 GHz Spectrum Band,” we have a much better sense of what the future holds for this proceeding. The FCC has heard from dozens of stakeholders on this issue through public comments and meetings and is expected to issue the first set of new rules for the 5 GHz spectrum band sometime early next year. There seemed to be a consensus on some of the less controversial aspects of this ...

Over the past few years, hackers and other cyber-miscreants have managed to create a never-ending list of ways to attack both private and commercial networks and computer infrastructure. Their activities not only slow down systems and disrupt critical operations, but often lead to more serious crimes such as identity theft and corporate espionage. By all indications, the threats are multiplying and becoming much more difficult to neutralize or remove. Of course, those unknowns create more opport ...

Its commercial, multimedia-rich nature means that IT is essential to everything from the running of live events to broadcasting them around the world. For those who love working with technology and want to combine this with a passion for sport, IT could be your dream career.

Negotiating a raise is a fundamental skill for any successful career. The trick is to anchor the request for a raise in information gathering and questions – never outright demands.

If you think participating in social media is a waste of time, CompTIA’s Nov. 14 webinar, “How to Use Social Media to be More Effective at your Job,” sponsored by the trade association’s Advancing Women in IT (AWIT) community, will convince you otherwise.

Security may not be as hyped as other tech trends like cloud computing, mobility or Big Data, but several CompTIA research studies have shown that it remains a top priority for businesses among a wide range of IT initiatives. However, that may not necessarily translate into businesses having a robust security posture or knowing which steps to take as they explore new technology models. CompTIA’s Eleventh Annual Information Security Trends study examines the areas that may need closer atten ...

On Wednesday, November 13, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing entitled “Challenges and Opportunities in the 5 GHz Spectrum Band.” The hearing will look at making an additional 195 MHz of spectrum in the 5 GHz band available for unlicensed use. If the government makes this spectrum available, it could result in incredible advances in Wi-Fi such as faster speeds, less congestion and availability in more places, all of which could have a significant impact on SM ...

With many managed services providers admitting that their technology skills are far deeper than their business acumen, the processes required to create those critical organizational development plans may be quite unfamiliar. The talents essential to build and sustain these IT companies can be quite diverse, so MSPs either have to undergo training to acquire those capabilities or hire new employees with those specific proficiencies. Regardless of the method they adopt, those consistent investment ...

When you’re responsible for not only understanding the problems that plague small businesses but also identifying solutions, where can you turn to for dependable data? Cindy Phillips, director of product management for CMIT Solutions, turns to CompTIA research. CMIT Solutions – a CompTIA member since 2010 – protects small businesses by proactively managing what matters most; the technical infrastructure that keeps business running. “Ask any small business owner what happe ...

This guest blog entry was written by Robert Dutt of Channelnomics. What a difference a year makes. In the 2012 Ingram Micro SMB 500 tally, solution providers in the southwest region were last in terms of overall revenue growth. The region still grew at 173.53 percent over 2011, but that number was the lowest regional growth rate around the country for partners in the Ingram Micro SMB 500, a program facilitated by The 2112 Group. A year later, the southwest region – Arizona, New Mexico ...

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) has again noted his support for tax reform. In a statement released on October 30, Baucus emphasized the need for corporate tax reform, citing examples of companies that have re-incorporated in lower tax jurisdictions such as Ireland. He stated that he would work on parallel tracks with both the newly formed Budget Conference Committee, as well through the Finance Committee. Similarly, House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) has continue ...