Sessions on Hot Tech Trends, Presidential Politics and Trust Highlight Activities at CompTIA Annual Member Meeting

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Apr 12, 2012, 12:19 ET

CHICAGO, April 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Strategies for profiting from emerging technology solutions, a preview of the U.S. presidential election and compelling advice on why it's important to build more trust into business activities highlighted the second day of the 2012 CompTIA Annual Member Meeting here this week.

The CompTIA Annual Member Meeting, which concludes today, brings together information technology (IT) industry leaders to network with peers; discuss and strategize on issues affecting their business; and learn about the trends shaping the IT industry.

In the conference keynote speech Wednesday, best-selling author Stephen M.R. Covey made a compelling case for why trust can and should be the greatest asset an organization has.

"Trust is not just trust as a social virtue," said Covey. "Rather, it's an economic driver that can make a profound difference in your business. It's an idea whose time has come."

A panel of mobility experts offered perspectives for IT solutions providers seeking business opportunities in the fast-growing arena of mobile devices and applications. Since 2009, mobile Internet usage has doubled every year. Annual mobile app downloads are projected to grow more than 10 times over from 2010 to 2015 – from 10.7 billion to 183 billion.

Dan Wensley, vice president, Level Platforms Inc., commented that there are three main focuses for IT staff when it comes to mobility: provision, security and end-of-life. IT solution providers must be able to help the customer supply mobile devices for their staff, secure them and cut off access to company data when the employee leaves the company.

Also Wednesday, CompTIA's Public Advocacy Group sponsored a presentation by renowned pollster, author and opinion leader John Zogby, who shared his insights on the 2012 presidential election. Decisions by the President and Congress have a direct effect on technology policies which in turn impact the everyday business of the IT channel.

According to Zogby, President Obama's job performance rating is back up to 47 percent, and if the election were held today, he would defeat Governor Romney 45 percent to 36 percent. But the remaining, undecided 19 percent of the electorate can sway the election results in a big way.

IT Job Crunch Reaching Critical Point

The IT jobs crunch was also discussed extensively this week during CompTIA Colloquium, a gathering of leaders in the IT training and certification industry also held here this week.

IDC analyst Cushing Anderson told attendees the IT industry is entering its third platform era. The first platform focused on mainframes; the second on PCs, the Internet and client/server systems. The third platform revolves around mobile devices and applications and pushing technology to apply to a specific business or consumer problems. Anderson urged the training audience to help their customers align training behind business objectives.

The shortage of IT workers is fast approaching a critical point where it could negatively impact industry growth and prosperity. Tania Lavin, market research manager, Allegis Group Inc., cited a recent survey of IT executives, who identified their biggest barriers to success. A full 56 percent said the biggest barrier is the lack of staff.

"The time to act is now," said Alejandro Debenedet, international business relations director, PeopleCert Group. "We need government, industry, training organizations, all stakeholders working together."

Also Wednesday, conference attendees honored 2012 IT Hall of Fame inductees – the late Jacob Goldman, a chief scientist for Xerox Corp., and the founding members of the VentureTech Network, Jane Cage, Steven Harper, Myles Schacter and Ted Warner.

"We shared each other's visions, dreams and services," Harper said. "Solid friendships, loyalty and respect for the individual continue to shape our businesses."

Xerox Corp. executive Gary Gillam received a Lifetime Achievement Award from CompTIA. Gillam was a member of the association's board of directors on three occasions, including a term as chairman, and held a leadership post with CompTIA's charitable foundation, now known as the Creating IT Futures Foundation. "This industry is special because it's filled with people with passion," Gillam said. "It's been a joy to work with you."

The 2012 CompTIA Annual Member Meeting, the largest gathering in the history of the event, concludes today with meetings of the CompTIA Unified Communications and Managed Print Services communities.

About CompTIA

CompTIA is the voice of the world's information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. For more information, visit www.comptia.org or follow CompTIA on Twitter at Http://www.Twitter.com/comptia.

SOURCE CompTIA