CompTIA Blog

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to attend the “State of the Net” conference hosted by the Advisory Committee to the Congressional Internet Caucus held in Washington, D.C. The event was very well attended and there were numerous panels on a variety of public policy issues related to technology. Read on for a summary of the panels I attended.Online Privacy on Trial: Has Congress Given Industry Self-Regulating Long Enough?The discussion largely focused on providing a history of the developm ...

The channel is in a buying mood this week, from MSP business acquisitions to IBM stock, and a new distribution deal that should enhance the procurement process for ShoreTel partners. Is all this activity a sign the economy is back on solid ground, or could this be an indication of industry consolidation and a move to what many consider “safe investments”? You can be the judge, but several of this week’s topics provide fodder for that discussion.   Mergers and Acquisitions Ring in a Strong New Ye ...

Defining a term or industry adequately is hard work. Here’s a perfect example– how do you define “life”? Many have tried; it grows, reproduces, undergoes a complex set of chemical reactions to maintain growth and reproduce, and responds to stimuli. Sound like a thorough explanation? Not so fast— fire does all of these things, but clearly it is not living. Despite the difficulty of defining “life,” we all have a reasonable understanding of what it means when something is alive. Unified Communicat ...

A look at the week of January 17, 2011, in public advocacy for the IT channel An overwhelming majority of hospitals and many private practices are jumping at the opportunity to register for federal incentive payments for adoption and meaningful use of certified electronic health records.  Tech companies are proposing their own economic stimulus – more domestic investment in return for lower taxes.  The U.S. Department of Treasury became the first federal agency to use Amazon We ...

With the beginning of the 112th Congress now under way, the IT industry faces many challenges and opportunities.  The job of the our Public Advocacy staff is to make sure that your voice and your concerns are heard in the “People’s House”.  Nevertheless, it is only truly the people’s house if the stories and experiences of the people are what lawmakers hear and read about.  In the immortal words of Jerry Maguire, “help us to help you.”  A ...

Typically the week after the Consumer Electronics Show is rather mild for IT channel news, with the vendors and many VARs returning home and getting back to their day jobs. This year was different with a rather unusual timing for a consumer-oriented, but business-beneficial iPhone/Verizon announcement. While that news started a firestorm of blog and social media posts, several other notable topics hit the wires as well.   iPhone Rumors Come to an End (Finally!)It was the announcement many have b ...

A look at the week of January 10, 2011, in public advocacy for the IT channel This week, the Senate moves forward with efforts to repeal the 1099 provision.  The House is considering legislation to enable foreign students studying science and technology to remain in the U.S. for work following graduation.  Construction began on a new $1.2-billion national cyber center in Utah.  As electronic medical record adoption gains steam, the Department of Health & Human Services plans ...

Despite claims to the contrary, most IT engineers aren’t born with the ability to rebuild a server or construct a computer network. Gaining those skills typically requires a significant investment in time and access to the resources of a professional training organization. In an industry where the product and service portfolios change with (what seems like) the speed of light, gaining a comprehensive understanding of computer systems, network infrastructures, and even document imaging can be a s ...

It’s a new year and a new legislative agenda prevails in the House. Fred Upton (R-MI) is the new chairman of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, and he has named his subcommittee chairs: Subcommittee on Manufacturing and Trade Chair Mary Bono Mack (R-CA), Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chair Greg Walden (R-OR), Subcommittee on Energy and Power Chair Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy Chair John Shimkus (R-IL), Subcommittee on Health Chair Joe ...

When you think of powerful lobbies on Capitol Hill, how come the IT industry doesn't come immediately to mind? No industry in the U.S., or the world for that matter, plays such a diverse and integrated role in the global economy. Nor has any other industry done more to advance society to this point while continuing to raise the bar for a better future. Is it ignorance on the part of legislators? Is the IT industry just taken for granted because it is so pervasive? Has it been by design? Has the ...

On December 17th, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first successful heavier than air flight, launching the aviation age and giving the world a glimpse of what was to come. Many aviation pioneers would quickly follow the Wright brothers in a “race” to best the previous record, whether the marker was time in the air, speed, distance or one of the many other categories.Charles Lindbergh became the first pilot to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic on May 20th, 1927. Just a year later, Ame ...

A look at the week of January 3, 2011, in public advocacy for the IT channel This week, the Defense Department is launching a program to exchange employees with private sector contractors in order to increase workers’ experience and knowledge of the cybersecurity field.  Registration for the EMR incentive program, developed as part of the 2009 economic stimulus package, opens this week.  Smaller companies plan to expand use of cloud computing technology to take advantage of low ...

The week between Christmas and New Year’s is always slow. Salespeople closed their last minute deals of the year before the holidays. Executive teams and staffers take well-deserved winter respites. And the Channel-Lands fall as quiet as a New England hallow covered in blanket of solstice snow. OK, that’s a lame attempt at alliteration to say not much was happening this week. So, rather than recounting the top stories of the week, let’s take a gander at some of the obligatory lists of the top st ...

You don’t need to go to medical school to figure out the potential bonanza in healthcare technology. Fueled by the Obama administration’s healthcare reform agenda and billions of dollars in federal stimulus money, modernization of the antiquated paper-based recordkeeping system used by physicians, clinicians and hospitals will happen at a frenzied pace in the coming year and beyond. But let’s correct one of those last statements: paper-based recordkeeping. It’s a bit of ...

The tax bill sailed through both the Senate and House during the lame duck session and was signed into law on December 17.  The “Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010” is a $859 billion bill that extends the Bush tax cuts for two years and sets the estate tax at 35 percent for estates exceeding $5 million through 2012. For many businesses, a big disappointment was Congress’ failure to use this bill to repeal the onerous Form 1099 reporting requirement, ...