CompTIA Blog

Takeaway of the week is how helpful it often is to step back and take stock of career decisions from a "big picture" perspective, whether that means an analytical career assessment tool or choosing the right resources to achieve that career goal in the first place. Then again, sometimes it all comes down to the money. CompTIA A+ Among 'Certifications That Deliver Career Advancement' CompTIA A+ is one of 12 certifications that delivers career advancement, according to CIO magazine. CompTIA A+, w ...

Whenever new trends or business opportunities comes along, each typically has its own “shelf life” or time-period when companies can either take advantage of it, or see it fade away. We often see that happen in the tech and consumer industries, where the first to design and produce a quality product   typically leads the market. But that’s where the IT channel differs.Product sales are often infrequent, and consumers can be quite erratic with what they purchase and use every day. When better thi ...

A look at the week of August 28 in public advocacy for the IT channel: Michelle Obama announced in Florida last week that 2,000 businesses have trained or hired more than 125,000 military veterans and spouses, exceeding the White House goal of 100,000 for 2012, says the Associated Press. Federal regulators warned yesterday through a statement that our existing federal laws may not protect “against fast-moving cybersecurity threats,” says CNET. Former senior director for cybersecurity ...

As mobile computing and bring your own device (BYOD) policies are on the rise in corporate environments, there is a growing demand for certified technicians with the knowledge to deliver services for Mac and/or iOS mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPad.

With the CompTIA African Partner Conference less than a month away, the agenda is set and event details are nearly finalized to bring together CompTIA partners and members from across Africa to participate in some cross-community networking.This year’s conference is scheduled for September 13th at the Blue Valley Golf and Country Estate in Midrand, South Africa, and will feature an agenda packed full of speakers, panels and information sessions that will focus on the value of IT training and cer ...

Takeaway of the week is that while it may not appear that way to long-term unemployed IT pros, the job market for experienced and highly-skilled technical professionals remains red hot without any signs of easing up - emphasis on the "highly-skilled" part. That's right, the skills gap remains a thing which explains why overseas outsourcing snaps up some roles and others don't always go to the most well-suited candidates. Finding the Needle in the Haystack Talk the tech talk. Trumpet the perks. G ...

The latest CompTIA Small Business Owners (SBO) Community is ready to help. Rather than focusing on a specific vertical market or technology, this group concentrates on business improvement methods, educational programs, and the tools to build a successful organization. As a true “peer community,” SBO members are solution providers and experienced IT industry professionals who understand the value of sharing suggestions and ideas.The group’s educational initiatives are paying off, yielding a numb ...

Jeremiah Gaches, Project HIRED Warrior Workforce client and decorated Army veteran, is now able to return to work in an office environment, thanks to support services from Project HIRED and its Wounded Warrior Workforce Service Dog Program. With the support of his canine partner, Rocky, Gaches now lives independently and holds a position through a Project HIRED AbilityOne contract for call center services at the Livermore, CA VA Medical facility. Companies looking for qualified IT job appli ...

A look at the week of August 21 in public advocacy for the IT channel: Large retail chains like Walmart and Amazon are fighting to make sure that small businesses are taxed as much as they are under future online tax legislation, says the Philadelphia Inquirer. Small business owners were less optimistic about their future sales and growth in July, says The Hill. Republican senators are still debating the merits and details of online sales tax legislation, says the Daily Caller.Internet Tax Wars: ...

CompTIA will add performance-based questions to its CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+ certification exams in the coming months.Performance-based questions require exam candidates to perform a task or solve a problem within a simulated IT environment to demonstrate specific knowledge or skills. Currently, the three exams employ only multiple-choice questions.The CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP) exam, introduced in September 2011, was the first CompTIA exam to employ ...

Despite the experiences of many solution providers, some suggest that there isn't a real IT skills shortage, but a lack of key talent in the right location. Regardless of whose opinion you believe, the IT community needs to do a better job of inspiring youth and other industries' displaced workers to pursue a career in high tech. With the continually rising demand for service and support technicians, developers and integrators, many companies can't onboard new hires fast enough—and it's only ...

Takeaway of the week is a tidy set of suggestions to help the would-be IT job candidate: Expand your horizon from the technical know-how to "business 101" skills, be opinionated, flexible in your approach and cognizant of the big picture. Oh, and employers without fully-formed technical training programs? Your valued staff may not be yours for long. Five to Strive To reach the altitude of the rising stars of the IT industry, it takes a little bit more than rock-star coding. Knowing how to pro ...

Despite the experiences of many solution providers, some suggest that there isn’t a real IT skills shortage, but a lack of key talent in the right location. Regardless of whose opinion you believe, the IT community needs to do a better job of inspiring youth and other industries’ displaced workers to pursue a career in high tech. With the continually rising demand for service and support technicians, developers and integrators, many companies can’t onboard new hires fast enough—and it’s only exp ...

A look at the week of August 14 in public advocacy for the IT channel: President Obama is currently weighing an executive order that would help prevent cyber attacks on critical infrastructure one week after the Senate failed to pass legislation, says the National Journal. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak believes that cloud computing is dangerous and will lead to major problems in the next few years, says the Huffington Post. GOP lawmakers in the Senate are firing back against Senate Democrats th ...

No doubt there exist many channel opportunities related to the cloud model, among them new sales and customer engagement scenarios as well as the chance to build recurring revenue streams. This is all good business. But the fast-moving shift to cloud is also profoundly disruptive and challenging. Ready or not, many of today’s solution providers find themselves re-evaluating how they conduct basic business operations, regardless of whether they are planning an all-cloud transition (for now, a rar ...