CompTIA Volley

Carolyn and Seth welcome Gordon Pelosse, CompTIA's senior vice president of employer engagement, to discuss the recently released Workforce and Learning Trends 2022 research report. Many challenges in building technical talent were exacerbated by the pandemic, such as finding skilled candidates or holding on to existing workers. While many employers are turning to new tactics such as dropping a four-year degree requirement, building a skills-based approach requires significant effort. The core issue for many businesses is finding a way to quantify the skills they need and then creating development plans to attract and grow those skills.

CompTIA's Workforce and Learning Trends 2022: https://www.comptia.org/content/research/workforce-and-learning-trends-2022

Seth and guest co-host Amy Carrado welcome Randall Edwards, CompTIA's director of product development, to have a discussion around the role of technical support. In the digital era, most companies are considering some level of in-house technical support in order to drive efficiency. Many traditional skills are evolving as endpoints become more diverse and backend functions migrate to the cloud. In addition, cybersecurity has become a critical skill for tech support specialists. CompTIA's newly refreshed A+ certification uses industry input to validate these modern skills in job seekers.

CompTIA A+ overview: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/a

CompTIA's State of the Tech Workforce: https://www.cyberstates.org/

The Role of Technical Support in Modern IT: https://www.comptia.org/blog/tech-support-in-modern-it

Carolyn and Seth start with some quick thoughts around social media in the wake of Elon Musk's offer to take Twitter private, then they dive into CompTIA's new data around IT operations. Even after the pandemic, there has not been dramatic change in attitudes around technology adoption. Organizations that are closer to the cutting edge are focusing on new ways to evaluate and implement new technology. Organizations that have more measured technology adoption may be considering increased investments as a way to accelerate their strategy, and the plans for those investments reflect the need to fully understand the dynamics of modern IT.

Carolyn and Seth talk about the latest research around managed services. With the pandemic beginning to fade, MSPs are feeling optimistic about the prospects for the future. Many are exploring the addition of premium services, which may require changes to the business model since areas like cybersecurity or data analytics do not necessarily follow repeatable processes. In order to serve the full range of customer needs, MSPs may need to further explore partnering with specialists. The ultimate goal for most MSPs is improving customer experience, both for their own clients and their clients' clients.

Trends in Managed Services research brief: https://connect.comptia.org/content/research/trends-in-managed-services-2022

Carolyn and Seth welcome James Stanger, CompTIA's Chief Technology Evangelist, to talk about employee experience. Employee experience is becoming a critical discipline for businesses as the post-pandemic workplace evolves, and James talks about the need to improve hiring practices, the ways to help employees avoid burnout, and the importance of developing skills.

McKinsey article on employee experience: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/this-time-its-personal-shaping-the-new-possible-through-employee-experience

Carolyn and Seth talk about CompTIA's latest research in the field of data management and analytics. More and more, companies are looking to their data to be the differentiating factor that will drive internal efficiency or external growth. While the ultimate goal is data analytics, most companies are finding that the first order of business is building structure and process around the data they already have. The overall effect is a huge demand for data skills, whether that's database administration, data analytics, or data science.

Carolyn and Seth dive into the hype around web3, the concept of decentralizing the internet using blockchain. Starting with a quick history of web1/web2.0/web3, the two define the web3 concept as a shift toward ownership of content rather than production of content. The technology being used for web3 concepts has already launched cryptocurrencies and NFTs, but there is still a challenge in finding a killer app, especially for businesses. The big hurdle for web3 will be in redefining technology protocols now that they are already ingrained in society and business, and the best advice for companies right now is to make sure they have processes for monitoring and evaluating web3 and other emerging trends in order to stay ahead of the curve.

Carolyn and Seth welcome Marie Rourke, owner of Whitefox Marketing, to talk about how marketing practices are evolving for companies in the IT channel. Historically, vendors have provided marketing funds for their partners, and those funds are still available, but vendors are doing more to tie the funds to expected outcomes and also provide guidance around the best way to invest in marketing. Additionally, solution providers are pursuing marketing of their own brand as they are building awareness of the value they provide to their clients. For many firms, marketing may be a new addition to the business model, but it may also be one of the easiest ways to find new growth.

CompTIA's Marketing Toolkit: https://connect.comptia.org/content/marketing-toolkit-for-msps

Carolyn and Seth discuss some of the findings from CompTIA's recent data on diversity, equity, and inclusion within the IT channel. DEI is a major concern for many firms, but there are many challenges when it comes to moving the needle. Smaller firms are exploring actions beyond hiring and workforce training, including being more selective about working with companies that have clear DEI strategies. In the coming year, companies plan to start exploring the best way to set metrics to measure progress on DEI initiatives.

Carolyn and Seth start 2022 by diving into one of the hottest topics in technology: the metaverse. After giving a high-level definition of the metaverse as online life, the discussion turns to the recent hype around the metaverse as a killer app for VR. The main question moving forward is around immersion--how often do people want to be fully immersed in online activities? Whether VR is the main technology or AR plays a strong role, there will be a lot of hardware involved if this vision of the metaverse takes off.

Why The Metaverse Will Matter to IT Pros: https://www.comptia.org/blog/the-metaverse-at-work