CompTIA Volley

Carolyn and Seth talk with Steve Petryschuk, Technology Advocate at Auvik, about some of the latest trends in network management based on data from Auvik's Network Field Report 2021. Steve talks about the importance of network visibility, especially as companies move to more remote work, and he also discusses the need for network engineers to communicate, especially as applications encounter downt...

Carolyn and Seth welcome Kelly Stone, CompTIA's senior director of digital strategy, for a discussion on how social media has evolved. The conversation starts at a high level, touching on the different parts of social media that have been underestimated, then moves into best practices for businesses. Rather than treating social media as a separate initiative, companies should be sure that their so...

Carolyn and Seth start the show with a lightning round covering the GameStop stock saga, Jeff Bezos stepping down as CEO of Amazon, and the Apple-Facebook feud over privacy. Then they turn their attention to CompTIA's latest data on managed services. While most MSPs seem to have weathered the COVID storm successfully, there have been changes to pricing model and a shift to higher-level services. M...

Carolyn and Seth talk with Mark Brigman, founder and CEO of Partnernomics, about building successful partner programs. As the value of partnering has shifted away from pure distribution of physical products, there are new considerations that must go into growing through partnerships. From finding partners to aligning goals, Mark talks about the different aspects of partnering in a digital environm...

Carolyn and Seth discuss the Solarwinds attack that has affected a wide range of companies. For both MSPs and end users, there are many things to consider, starting with the need to take extra action to verify technology products. Thanks to the potential for cyberattacks to now spread to so many companies, there is a pressing need to share information across a broad network. In addition, companies...

Carolyn and Seth take a look back at the big tech stories of 2020. Without dwelling too much on COVID or elections, there were plenty of other things happening. Whether it was ripple effects of the pandemic (like rapid digital transformation), stories that slid under the radar (like the Tiktok saga), or things that were notable by their absence (like massive product announcements), 2020 was a year...

Carolyn and Seth take a look at the changes that have taken place in the business world due to COVID and share their opinions on whether those changes will stick or be reversed when the pandemic finally comes to a close. From workplace dynamics to business travel to employee relations, the post-pandemic choices will not necessarily be driven by a single factor such as finances. There are many vari...

Carolyn and Seth take a look at CompTIA's latest research, the IT Industry Outlook for the upcoming year. As always, the Outlook report covers 10 trends that CompTIA expects to define the year ahead. The discussion in the podcast covers a few of these--the fact that there is no normal, the dynamics taking place in the IT channel, the focus on zero trust cybersecurity, and the need for professional...

Carolyn and Seth welcome Randy Gross, CompTIA's CIO and EVP of Certification Operations, for the annual holiday episode. For Halloween, the scary thing about tech is the lack of trust that people have in the technology industry and the difficulty companies will have in building that trust. For Thanksgiving, there is gratitude for the way technology has been able to support work, school, and life i...

Carolyn and Seth give their review of the technology issues that should be considered by candidates running for office in the upcoming U.S. election. Breaking up huge tech companies seems to be on the mind of many candidates and officials, but simply breaking up companies might not get at the root issue. Instead, new forms of regulation need to be considered. Cybersecurity and data privacy are two...

Carolyn and Seth welcome James Stanger back to the podcast to talk about the state of cybersecurity for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. James is CompTIA's Chief Technology Evangelist, and he discusses some of the findings in CompTIA's new research, including the structure of today's security teams the adoption of a zero trust framework. Then he talks about how companies are dealing with pr...

Carolyn and Seth wrap up the series on the trajectory of technology with a look at workforce enablement. Companies have found that they are able to be productive with a remote workforce, but they can't always get the same level of innovation or networking. Moving forward, businesses will have to make decisions about their strategy and their culture, then they will have to find technology that enab...

Carolyn and Seth continue their series on the future trajectory of technology with a look at automation. As a natural next step after integration, companies are becoming more interested in automation as a way to both maximize their workforce efforts and create resiliency in their operations. While automation has traditionally been difficult because of the complexity of the tasks being automated, n...

Carolyn and Seth start a three-part series looking at the trajectory of technology. As the COVID pandemic continues, businesses are beginning to recognize that there is a new tech strategy to follow. Pieces of this strategy were in place before the pandemic, but they have taken on greater importance. Part 1 of this series looks at integration, a task that is certainly not new but is more critical...

Carolyn and Seth speak with Juan Fernandez, VP of Managed IT Services at ImageNet Consulting, about various pathways in the IT industry. First, Juan talks about his own path into an IT career and how certifications are playing a more critical role for candidates seeking technology jobs. Then he discusses the path ahead for the IT industry, examining the way companies are accelerating their digital...

Carolyn and Seth take a look ahead at CompTIA's ChannelCon event. Running August 5-7, the virtual event covers the dynamics of the IT industry, the thought leadership of CompTIA's membership communities, and the future of emerging technology. See the full agenda and register for free at www.channelcon.com.

Carolyn and Seth talk with CompTIA CEO Todd Thibodeaux about what lies ahead for business and technology. The COVID-19 pandemic has created massive disruption, but there is also massive opportunity to rethink how things get done and how to use technology more strategically. Todd discusses the transition to remote work, the ripple effects of changes across different industries, and the skills that...

Carolyn and Seth celebrate Volley's 100th episode by looking back at some of their favorite shows. From the first episode talking about cloud computing to the post-pandemic episode talking about remote work, the show has evolved along with the IT industry. Thanks to everyone who's listened and supported us!

Carolyn and Seth discuss the latest whitepaper from CompTIA, "The Role of Emerging Technology in Digital Transformation." A focus on emerging technology is a key part of strategic IT, and both IT professionals and technology firms need to take a new approach. With the basic computing platform well established, the next phase of IT is Artisan IT, where complex solutions are built with emerging comp...

Carolyn and Seth welcome Cinnamon Rogers, CompTIA's Executive VP of Public Advocacy, to discuss what her team is focused on during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cinnamon discusses the efforts to include IT provisions in the COVID stimulus packages, the efforts to communicate workplace guidelines across all 50 states, and the future opportunities to conduct policy business from the new office in Washingto...

Carolyn and Seth welcome Frank Vitagliano, CEO of Global Technology Distribution Council, to talk about the changes taking place in IT distribution. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted this market segment along with the rest of the economy, but the evolution of IT distribution was taking place for years beforehand. Frank talks about the rapid transition to safe operations during COVID, the ongoing...

Carolyn and Seth welcome back Randy Gross, CompTIA's CIO and EVP of Certification Operations, to discuss CompTIA's recent pivot to online testing. As with most companies, CompTIA needed to move quickly to adjust to the reality of the pandemic, but solid preparation for a future that included online testing provided a good foundation for success. Randy talks through the details of CompTIA's transit...

Carolyn and Seth talk with MJ Shoer, the executive director of the CompTIA Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (CompTIA ISAO, formerly Technology Solution Provider Information Sharing and Analysis Organization or TSP-ISAO), about the state of managed services during the COVID-19 pandemic. MJ covers the ups and downs for MSPs as they continue to work with their clients and the opportuniti...

Carolyn and Seth welcome Tim Herbert, CompTIA's executive vice president of research, to discuss the new IT employment report. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Burning Glass Labor Insights, CompTIA compiles a monthly report looking at both employment in the high tech industry and employment of technology professionals across all industries. While the April report may not capture...

Carolyn and Seth tackle a topic on everyone's mind: remote work. With so many people working remotely thanks to COVID-19, there are a lot of challenges for both businesses and employees in staying productive. The two hosts share their own personal experiences with working remotely, talking through technology issues, physical setup, and the fact that the right path is different for everyone. Other...