CompTIA Blog

Takeaway of the week is it's still a "New York State of Mind" when it comes to the place to be for tech startups. In other news, well, let's just say the recent worldwide software market forecast wasn't as rosy as things are these days for techies looking for jobs in the Big Apple. The Big Tech Apple Hey, did you hear the one about New York being the hot destination for tech startups these days? If you need more proof, check out the recent piece in the Wall Street Journal, which highlights a ...

In view of the significant relationship between IT, innovation and the retention of highly skilled workers in the United States, CompTIA was invited to attend a Community Leader Briefing on Immigration Reform last week at the White House.While the event carried heightened attention on the heels of the Obama Administration decision to temporarily suspend deportations of certain qualified young people, our attention was squarely on the issue of retaining highly skilled workers who have obtained a ...

Last week, Senator Toomey (R-Penn.) released the “Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2012,” and is co-sponsored by Senator Olympia Snowe, Jim Demint, Roy Blunt, and Dean Heller.There are several provisions to this proposed data breach notification legislation, but among the highlights is a requirement that a covered entity provide “ . . . notice of any breach of the security of the system following discovery by the covered entity . . .” so long as the covered entity “reasonably believe ...

Following the enactment of the JOBS Act on April 5, there has been a lot of interest in the nuts and bolts of crowdfunding.  Does your company qualify?  Does it make economic sense for your needs?  Right now, there are a lot of unanswered questions as the Securities and Exchange Commission is working on the initial draft of regulations to implement this new law.Get ahead of the curve.   Join us for a webinar at 2pm EDT on July 25 titled:  Crowdfunding: Opportunities for the IT Channel and What Y ...

If you really want that job, you have to prep thoroughly to nail the interview. Here's how.

I recently bought a bagel and a cup of coffee at my neighborhood coffee shop. Unlike most shops though, my wallet stayed in my pocket. Using the Square mobile payment app on my smartphone, I simply informed the cashier of my name, which populated the cash register (an iPad) with my account, confirmed by the proximity of my phone. I accepted the charge and that was it. On the way out, using my Belly customer loyalty app, I swiped my phone across a digital display to get credit toward future rewar ...

Takeaway of the week is the suggestion to view the current IT job market in the "glass is half-full" mode. Reports on the overall IT job market might not be glowing, but it's certainly doing a lot better than other industries in today's economy. IT prospects continue to grow at a steady pace. Let's just hope that forecasts of IT skills gaps are a thing of the past in the near future. Wanted: Cybersecurity Skills Amid a growing spate of cybersecurity attacks to both government and corporate netw ...

Have you ever considered how your clients’ manage their printers and copiers, and how much these devices and the related infrastructure cost their organization’s each year? If you’re not already providing managed print services, or considering the opportunity, it’s a great time to evaluate the benefits (and obstacles) of offering them to your business customers.Not only are the channel options for offering managed print services expanding, but more businesses are open to outsourcing their print ...

Indianapolis Public Schools students Christopher Williams, Nigel Leitzell, China Harris, Andrea Williams, and Scott Patrick earned their CompTIA Strata IT Fundamentals certifications after an enrichment class in conjunction with Harrison College. Harrison College's offer to teach a CompTIA Strata IT Fundamentals technology class to a group of Indianapolis public high school students was a handshake deal that became a success. Thanks in no small part to the students' aptitude and hung ...

A look at the week of June 19 in public advocacy for the IT channel: Small cloud companies are struggling to secure federal contracts and certification due to the overwhelming demand of the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, says the Washington Post. Small business owners are embracing a new bill designed to keep productive immigrant workers in the U.S., says the Wall Street Journal. The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee predicts that Obama will back down from his thre ...

Indianapolis Public Schools students Christopher Williams, Nigel Leitzell, China Harris, Andrea Williams, and Scott Patrick earned their CompTIA Strata IT Fundamentals certifications after an enrichment class in conjunction with Harrison College.Harrison College's offer to teach a CompTIA Strata IT Fundamentals technology class to a group of Indianapolis public high school students was a handshake deal that became a success. Thanks in no small part to the students' aptitude and hunger for IT, th ...

Last night, Microsoft held an event that had the tech world buzzing through the weekend. Most industry watchers knew a tablet was in the works, but beyond that there wasn’t much firm data. Since Apple, Google and Facebook have been the companies making the most waves in tech recently, there was a sense of surprise that Microsoft had been able to generate so much interest.There was indeed a tablet at the center of all this interest: the new Microsoft Surface. Steve Ballmer said that the Surface “ ...

Although still early, the 2012 Presidential election remains very close (within the margin of error).  According to Rasmussen Reports, Governor Romney leads President Obama 47 percent to 44 percent (5 percent support another candidate and 4 percent are undecided).  Expect these numbers to fluctuate throughout the election, but generally remain very close.Of course, some events may lead to slight changes in polling numbers in the near term, including the Supreme Court’s ruling on healthcare refor ...

While some may choose to dismiss the various discussions, events and training programs on cloud solutions as hype, there are many more proving that the business model works. Members of the IT channel can be somewhat cautious, but it’s rare for them to ignore business applications that their customers want. And everyone from the smallest mom-and-pop retailer to the largest corporation wants the benefits that cloud services offer, according to respected industry analysts.For example, IDC reports t ...

Takeaway of the week is that it remains good to be in the IT job market, if one has to be in a job market at all. Choices abound, given the right skills and aptitude. This goes for anywhere in the globe, given the right skills. Dice: Tech Job Market Rises Above Despite economic woes, the job market for IT pros remains hot, a new Dice hiring survey indicates. According to the survey, nearly three-quarters of IT-focused recruiters and hiring managers expected to build out tech staffs in the last ...