CompTIA Volley

Carolyn and Seth talk about AI with Mechie Nkengala, CEO and Chief Data Scientist at Data Products LLC and Vice Chair of CompTIA's AI Advisory Council. The group starts with some thoughts on the hype surrounding ChatGPT and other large language model tools, then dives into a broader discussion about AI. The best way to think about AI is as an enabling technology that can drive strategic goals, and...

Carolyn and Seth take a look at the complex landscape of technology careers. With so much recent focus on layoffs in the tech sector, there have been questions about the demand for tech workers. CompTIA's research shows that demand continues to be very strong across a wide range of industries, making technology jobs a promising choice for starting or switching careers. There are different types of...

Carolyn and Seth take a look at online marketplaces, which have changed how technology is procured and implemented, and the platforms used for these marketplaces, which offer companies ease of building while potentially creating lock-in. Online marketplaces are built to reduce friction for the end user, whether that is a client of a technology services provider or an employee within an organizatio...

Carolyn and Seth wrap up the 2-part series on the changes in the technology industry by looking at the last 2 factors that shaped technology over the past 15 years. First, the evolution of the internet has driven digital strategy, and recent stumbles in the Web3 space raise questions about the exact use of digital ledger technology and the actual potential for decentralized networks. Beyond that,...

Carolyn and Seth kick off the new year with a 2-part series looking at the evolution of the technology industry over the past 15 years and the new paradigm for the industry heading into the future. There are four major drivers that shaped technology from 2007 to 2022. This episode looks at the first two: the growth of technology into a major industry that demands regulatory attention and social sc...

Carolyn and Seth take a look back at 2022, talking about the biggest stories and the impact on the technology industry. Technology was not the most important part of the year's top stories--the war in Ukraine and skyrocketing recession had critical humanitarian and societal concerns. The tech industry still had to still with ripple effects, though, such as supply chain disruption and the reality o...

Carolyn and Seth welcome CompTIA CEO Todd Thibodeaux to talk about the new concerns businesses have heading into 2023. CompTIA's IT Industry Outlook 2023 predicts that business as usual will get a reality check, and Todd walks through the many hurdles businesses face that will prevent them from simply returning to pre-pandemic operations. The threat of recession, the challenges of managing remote...

Carolyn and Seth go over the highlights from CompTIA's IT Industry Outlook 2023, the annual report looking at the major trends for the year ahead. Companies are recognizing that business as usual means something different now, as workforce dynamics and economic uncertainty drive new behaviors. The metaverse will likely not be restricted to VR, but will define a new way of providing holistic digita...

Carolyn and Seth welcome CompTIA CISO Randy Gross back to the show for the annual holiday episode. As always, the group talks about one thing in technology that is frightening (the failure to anticipate consequences of scaling), one thing they are thankful for (the open nature of technology professionals), and one thing on the wishlist (economic stability supported by tech innovation).

Carolyn and Seth talk with James Rocker, CEO of Nerds That Care, about his experiences implementing cybersecurity for clients. James talks about the need for education, especially as zero trust becomes an overarching framework for cybersecurity posture. The group also discusses the need to include business executives in cybersecurity discussions and the "onion approach" to cybersecurity architectu...

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...

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 upski...

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...

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 automati...

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. N...

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...

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 im...

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 me...

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...

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...

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 fo...

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...

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 technol...

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 r...

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 exper...