CompTIA Volley

Carolyn and Seth talk about CompTIA's latest State of Cybersecurity research. Although organizations often say that cybersecurity is a high priority, there hasn't been much progress in sentiment around internal cybersecurity efforts. At a high level, companies need to build a policy of integrating cybersecurity with business objectives. With this mindset in place, companies can begin implementing process steps in line with a zero trust framework, such as multifactor authentication or network microsegmentation. One of the most crtiical steps in a cybersecurity posture is the people, with all parts of an organization participating in the cybersecurity chain and technical specialists focused on skills such as threat knowledge, network security and data analysis.

State of Cybersecurity landing page: https://insights.comptia.org/2022-state-of-cybersecurity-it-pro/p/1

State of Cybersecurity main report: https://www.comptia.org/content/research/cybersecurity-trends-research

Carolyn and Seth talk about CompTIA's latest research on international trends in tech adoption and skills building, with the help of the author's study, CompTIA's Amy Carrado, and someone with first-hand experience, CompTIA's Loraine Vorster. The discussion touches on the importance of technology to strategic objectives, the surprising lack of process in assessing skills, and the benefits of upskilling existing workers.

Business Technology Adoption and Skills Trends report: https://www.comptia.org/content/research/2022-international-business-technology-adoption-and-skills-trends/

Carolyn and Seth talk about CompTIA's new research exploring technology attitudes and adoption among small and mid-sized businesses. Even with the current economic uncertainty, the research shows that SMBs feel fairly optimistic. Goals for technology have shifted from immediate tactical needs to long-term strategic objectives, and businesses are exploring many new paths for procurement. Technology partners that have traditionally led with products should shift more toward services such as consulting and integration.

Carolyn and Seth talk with Corey Simpson, COO of International Legal Technology Association, about trends in automation. Corey covers the need to approach automation from a cost/benefit perspective and how automation is part of an overall operational approach rather than a standalone goal. The group then talks about challenges in automation and how companies can avoid pitfalls as they use automation to handle growing complexity.

Carolyn and Seth look at four topics that used to make major headlines but have faded in the public eye. First, they discuss how computing power gets less focus, since most people and companies have plenty of power for their needs and have turned to software and services. Then, they look at unified communications, which showed how adoption can be more about user behavior than technical solution. Next, they cover BYOD, which is certainly present in most companies, but usually as an option rather than a primary approach. Finally, they talk about the software wars, where debate over winning languages faded as multiple languages have emerged for multiple purposes.

Carolyn and Seth wrap up the series on partner experience, looking at the issue from the perspective of vendors and distributors. While a large part of partner experience remains focusing on the basics like tech support and financial compensation, there is a greater focus on ease of business and elevating partner success. Topics like communication and training are new initiatives that vendors are exploring, and this often means growing the skill set of the channel enablement team or partnering in new ways with distributors.

Carolyn and Seth talk about CompTIA's new research around the topic of partner experience. With IT solution providers beginning to focus more on their own brand and the services they provide to clients, they are also focusing more on the overall experience of working with a vendor beyond product delivery and support. This episode examines the question from the partner angle--what areas are most important to them? While technical support still ranks as a top concern, partners are also looking to vendors for training beyond specific products, in areas such as marketing or business operations.

Partner perspective research brief: https://connect.comptia.org/content/research/partner-experience-trends-2022-research-brief

Carolyn and Seth welcome Rob Rae, SVP of Business Development at Datto, to discuss the state of mergers and acquisitions in the IT industry. Rob talks about the ways that customer demand and economics are driving M&A, then covers the need within the industry to better understand the mechanics of buying a company or being bought along with the cultural considerations after two companies have merged.

Learn more at DattoCon September 11-13: https://www.dattocon.com/

Carolyn and Seth welcome two guests to talk about CompTIA's summer events, which are happening live for the first time in three years. First, CompTIA's VP of B2B Marketing Liz Wannemacher shares details on Partner Summit, which hosts academic partners, training partners, and employers to discuss the latest trends in IT training and skill development. Then CompTIA's Chief Community Officer MJ Shoer gives a preview of ChannelCon, which welcomes companies from all parts of the technology landscape to network and learn about industry trends. Both events are in Chicago during the first week of August, and there will be many opportunities to plug in to all the content.

Partner Summit: https://connect.comptia.org/partnersummit

ChannelCon: https://connect.comptia.org/channelcon

Carolyn and Seth talk about CompTIA's data around blockchain, including some general thoughts on emerging technology adoption. With so many new technologies on the market and such a high degree of digital operations already in place, companies need a well-defined approach to evaluating emerging trends and implementing technology to solve business problems. Many companies are in the early stages of this activity, and that shows up in optimistic viewpoints on blockchain knowledge and a shortage of killer use cases. Blockchain is a protocol-level technology that may not have direct impact for every organization but could indirectly influence a wave of applications in the future.