CompTIA Blog

I did a radio interview last Saturday talking about the IT job market. We covered the standard message points: lots of open jobs in some regions but very few in others, not enough skilled people to fill them wherever they seem to be, and employers being very picky and specific about who they are hiring. But the point I kept coming back to in my own mind was when will the U.S. labor market hit a tipping point? Unemployment is almost always a lagging indicator during post-recession periods of gr ...

I did a radio interview last Saturday talking about the IT job market. We covered the standard message points: lots of open jobs in some regions but very few in others, not enough skilled people to fill them wherever they seem to be, and employers being very picky and specific about who they are hiring. But the point I kept coming back to in my own mind was when will the U.S. labor market hit a tipping point?Unemployment is almost always a lagging indicator during post-recession periods of growt ...

In more than 50 meetings on Capitol Hill today, CompTIA members from across the country stressed how instrumental small- and medium-sized IT companies are to the nation's economy.Members who attended CompTIA's Washington DC Fly-In event discussed specific legislation with elected officials and legislative staff, as well as the recurring themes of access to capital for small- and medium-sized companies, cybersecurity, and IT workforce development.Even in a down economy, IT worker unemployment is ...

Recently a client asked me if the management structure and disciplines we were instilling would create a bureaucracy within the organization. I was a bit flabbergasted by the question, as it would be the last thing I would ever want to do —does anyone really do that on purpose?As I considered this subject and began looking at the situation through the eyes of my client, I thought back to Supreme Court Justice White’s comment about pornography (I’ll know it when I see it).  Does that apply to the ...

Jimmy Hooh Chee Ming had considerable experience after 28 years in the IT field, but still sought a little extra insurance to bolster his transition into a full-time project management role. His co-workers pointed him toward CompTIA Project+ and he’s been singing praises ever since.

CompTIA member Greg VanDeWalker is the senior vice president of strategic relationships at GreatAmerica Leasing Corp., responsible for managing the company’s extensive network of OEM and national partners. He also directs the organization’s managed print services (MPS) initiative, providing education and support for solution providers looking to implement print management strategies.VanDeWalker’s passion and focus around this thriving segment of the IT channel is inspirational and he chairs the ...

As a young man growing up, I followed many sports stars: Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalgish, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, but my sporting inspiration was Zinedine Zidane. He was so naturally gifted and so intelligent with the ball. This week, I found inspiration not with footballers, but at youngsters no more than 18 years old who won the apprentice of the year awards at the Zenos annual conference, where I also had the pleasure of presenting my view on the “Evolution of IT, Jobs and Learning”. ...

As a young man growing up, I followed many sports stars: Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalgish, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, but my sporting inspiration was Zinedine Zidane. He was so naturally gifted and so intelligent with the ball. This week, I found inspiration not with footballers, but at youngsters no more than 18 years old who won the apprentice of the year awards at the Zenos annual conference, where I also had the pleasure of presenting my view on the “Evolution of IT, Jobs and Learning”.Ze ...

Takeaway of the week is it’s always best to toot your own horn when it comes to highly sought value you can add to an organization, because who knows when someone else would do it for you. And don’t look now, but it’s another voice trumpeting the ‘rise of the machines,’ but could it be with an IT silver lining? SME Branding? Toot Your Own Horn Subject matter experts shouldn’t wait around for anybody but themselves to tout that value-add expertise to the outside world, so says an executive fro ...

Just a few short years ago, protecting a client’s data was like building a moat around a castle. A circle of security kept all the systems locked down tight, with few things accessible outside a company’s intranet. To most, that may seem to be an extremely conservative (and naïve) approach from years past, but some organizations still follow that principle for guarding their infrastructure.Of course, that strategy is a difficult one to defend in 2011. The onslaught of smart phones, tablets, netb ...

GFI Software announced that it has acquired Monitis, the pioneer of cloud-based network and systems monitoring solutions. This acquisition further strengthens GFI’s ability to provide affordable end-to-end systems monitoring for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and to be a one-stop shop for managing heterogeneous IT infrastructures, be they on-premise, hosted or in the cloud.“The acquisition shows our commitment to expanding our solutions and helping our customers succeed in the rapid up ...

It’s not always easy for solution providers to get the training they need, between logistics challenges and scheduling conflicts that need to be resolved in order to participate in remote locations. The time required for travel and class instruction can wreak havoc on a company’s operations, since their clients’ support needs are rarely constant. Even the largest VARs and MSPs run into scheduling conflicts when attempting to balance training needs with the normal work load and emergency issues.T ...

A look at the week of October 24 in public advocacy for the IT channel: This week, the Obama Administration rounded up representatives from government agencies and congressional committees to press for comprehensive cybersecurity legislation this year.  Cybersecurity spending in defense IT budgets is expected to accelerate, especially in the event of a cyberattack.  Small businesses are found to be the most vulnerable to cyberattacks.Obama Officials Press for Cybersecurity Bill in Classified Bri ...

If you are planning to attend the CompTIA EMEA Conference on Tuesday, November 8th, you can register for one of the special sessions hosted by Cisco networking authority Todd Lammle, author of Sybex’s CompTIA Network+ Study Guide. Wireless Mobile Networks…  Mobility in Motion and What You Must KnowLearn how cross-layer feedback, along with other exciting new capabilities and innovations built into Mobility in Motion, work to create the “smart grid” of cutting edge wireless mobile networks. Todd ...

THE DAY BEFORE THE EXAM 1) Know the address and phone number of the testing center, and how you will get there, and how much time it will take to reach the testing center site. 2) Get a good night’s sleep before the exam   THE DAY OF THE EXAM 1) Eat a balanced breakfast, including some form of protein to give long-lasting energy. 2) Dress comfortably, in layers. 3) Give yourself plenty of travel time. 4) Bring the address of and directions to the testing site 5) Bring any needed ide ...