CompTIA Blog

We continue to see doom and gloom news about the future of the software distribution channel, in particular how it’s being impacted by the global recession, catalog providers and, most importantly, the cloud security delivery model. We already know that cloud software will change the security landscape as we know it today and it looks likely to change the software marketplace as well.In my opinion, this change is long needed, and for the better. Resellers who find the right education and support ...

Supporters of cybersecurity reform last week emphasized the need to pass new legislation. Small business owners in key swing states consider Obama debate victor. Obama supports math and science education at debate. Supporters of cybersecurity reform last week emphasized the need to pass new legislation to protect our nation’s critical infrastructure during conferences, speeches, panels and other events throughout the country, said Politico. Top White House cybersecurity advisor Michael ...

The CompTIA EMEA Members and Partners Conference opened this year with Olympic cyclist, gold medallist and three-time world record holder Chris Boardman. Introduced by CEO Todd Thibodeaux, Boardman inspired the room with a direct and clear lesson on what he believes makes a truly high-performing team. His presentation focused on one clear example – the British Cycling innovation team – which he said is the highest-performing team he has ever worked with.Boardman, who started out as a carpenter j ...

One of the first sessions at today’s CompTIA EMEA member conference focused on the need for channel organizations to move from the traditional “box shifter” business model to becoming managed services providers (MSPs). Nancy Hammervik, SVP of industry relations at CompTIA, led the session. She pointed out that the U.K. is considerably behind the U.S. when it comes to transformation from one channel to the other. In the U.S., she said, more than 75 percent of IT companies now refer to themselves ...

One of the most anticipated events of the morning session at this year’s CompTIA EMEA Conference was the cybersecurity panel led by Pauline Neville-Jones, patron of the Cyber Security Challenge and former UK Security Minister. The panel consisted of James Lyne, director of Technology Strategy at Sophos, who was described as spending “countless hours locked away from sunlight working with the world’s most paranoid businesses,” Sarah Winter from the Bank of England and Clinton Walker of Security A ...

Last summer, Congress passed the Budget Control Act (BCA) in order to raise the debt ceiling. The BCA dictated that in the event that the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, which was created by the legislation, was unable to find $1.2 trillion in spending cuts, then across-the-board cuts, or sequestrations, would be triggered. The Committee failed to find the necessary spending cuts and thus, sequestration is currently scheduled to go into effect on January 1st, 2013. Sequestration wil ...

Like it or not, today’s business is driven by the world economy. World markets and international manufacturing have a profound effect on literally everything we buy and sell, and that interconnect is sure to grow in the future, as companies and countries leverage their combined resources. There are as typically more similarities than differences in the organizational and technology issues facing businesses in each region, with the legislation and culture the biggest variables.The IT channel is k ...

CompTIA’s UK Community can be described in a word: momentum. This nascent community group is characterized by fast growth, having increased six-fold in the number of participants in just the last year. Gathered this week as an adjunct to CompTIA’s annual EMEA Member and Partner Conference in London, the community’s commitment to fostering business growth and collaboration is evident in the robust conversations, spirited speakers and a refreshing dearth of droning devices.Against this animated ba ...

Damien Manuel Damien Manuel Information Security Governance Manager, National Australia Bank Which exams have you helped develop? CompTIA Server+, CompTIA Security+, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP). I also review potential SME candidates for other exams. Why did you become a subject matter expert? I viewed the SMEs at CompTIA as a group leading the direction of the industry and I set it as a personal goal to become a subject matter expert for ...

The CompTIA Public Advocacy team wants your input and is forming a working group within CompTIA membership that will focus on workforce development issues.  With a new Congress coming in to town in a few months, we will have an opportunity to solidify our standing as a leader on this issue and there will be a lot for the working group to do!You should join this group if you are interested in the following areas:Cybersecurity Workforce: There is a great deal of collaboration that can be done with ...

Following the affirmation of the Affordable Care Act (more commonly known as Obamacare) this summer by the Supreme Court, CompTIA began to see an uptick in interest from its members as to how this law would affect their businesses. Since its controversial passage in March of 2010, ongoing challenges to the constitutionality of the reform measure led many businesses to take a wait-and-see attitude. Now that the law has been upheld, it’s time to take another look at how small businesses might be a ...

Cybersecurity startups raising more money than ever. Military veterans struggle to sell skills. Obama and Romney offer differing strategies to foster entrepreneurism. Cybersecurity startups in the Washington, D.C., area are raising more money than ever as investors see it as a burgeoning industry, says the Washington Business Journal. Entrepreneurs are viewed as having the upper hand these days as they have “more funding options from a wider range of venture and private equity sources, ...

Ever since attending her first IT channel event in 1995, Mary Ellen Grom has been a self-proclaimed high tech channel marketing junkie.In her role as vice president, US marketing at SYNNEX Corporation, Grom is responsible for leading all B2B activities, including implementing channel marketing strategies. SYNNEX Corporation is a Fortune 500 business process services company, servicing resellers and original equipment manufacturers in multiple regions around the world.Grom’s journey on the IT mar ...

Have you been in the market for a new vehicle lately or just checked out the latest cars on display at the dealership? If so, you likely saw vehicles that incorporate some cutting edge communications systems—including General Motors’ OnStar, Ford’s SYNC and Hyundai’s BlueLink. While these packages are tailored to the everyday needs of the average driver, tying in apps and voice control options to improve safety and convenience, they also increase productivity for mobile workers.These computer-dr ...

The energy and attention of President Obama and Governor Romney’s presidential campaigns have shifted to the debates. The first debate, which focused on domestic issues – everything from the state of the economy and tax reform to deficit reduction and spending, was viewed by over 66 million people. The general consensus was that Romney won the first debate. A CNN poll found that 57 percent of respondents thought Romney won the debate while 25 percent thought Obama won. A CBS News poll of uncommi ...