CompTIA Introduces New Open Access Model
CompTIA is working to make its long-established membership program more beneficial for members of the IT channel with the introduction of its new open access membership model. The revised program introduces a new no-cost level of engagement for prospective members as well as expanded tools and benefits for longtime members.
CompTIA is working to make its long-established membership program more beneficial for members of the IT channel with the introduction of its new open access membership model. The revised program introduces a new no-cost level of engagement for prospective members as well as expanded tools and benefits for longtime members.
New and prospective members will now be ranked as “registered users,” a no-cost way of giving individuals access to channel education, industry research and a selection of news and tools to aid partners in their businesses. Nancy Hammervik, CompTIA’s senior vice president of Industry Relations, said the organization felt it was the right time to bring its knowledge base to a wider audience outside of its established members.
“With the advent of cloud and mobility and digital services solutions, providers are facing more dynamics than they ever faced and they really need help navigating through it,” said Hammervik in an interview with The VAR Guy. “We sat here thinking as an organization we’re not really doing ourselves or the IT industry itself a great service by only sharing this wealth of content and insight with our 2,000 member organization. “
The registered user model has already attracted several thousand new members, bringing CompTIA’s total user base up to a whopping 7,000. In addition, CompTIA’s previous members have been upgraded to “premier members,” a title only available to solution providers, vendors and distributors within the channel. Premier members will have access to a mobile-friendly website launching in June designed to connect members to each other and engage with CompTIA.
CompTIA wants to offer the same opportunities for education within the channel to all partners, regardless of their individual standing. Hammervik noted the main focus of the new, open access model is to bring partners into the fold and drive engagement for a smarter, more-savvy channel community. She also urged the channel to take advantage of the wealth of free information now available.
“The channel is evolving at a pace it has never seen before. It can make or break an organization," Hammervik said. “They really have to understand where they fit in the industry and focus on it. A lot of our content is helping them to stay strong and successful and navigate all the choppy waters out there.”
