CompTIA looks ahead

Change is not often an easy thing for people to accept, but the new chief executive of trade body CompTIA (Computing Technology Industry Association) has bold plans for the association.

Speaking at an exclusive event at the Le Meridian Hotel in Piccadilly earlier this month, CompTIA head Todd Thibodeaux revealed his plans for a radical overhaul of how the organisation will function in the future.

He said the relationship between CompTIA and its members may have been like a one-way street in the past, and lacking in emphasis on the mutual benefits that being a member can bring.

Thibodeaux boasts an impressive CV, having played a major role in the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) ­ the organisers of the Consumer Electronics Show described as the largest, most successful trade show of its kind. CEA has more than 2,200 members and generates hundreds of millions of dollars in the US a year.

It appears Thibodeaux has big ideas for CompTIA, which he admitted had been very US-focused over the years, often to the detriment of the rest of the world.

“Right now, outside the US brings in just 2.5 per cent of our revenue,” he said. “Our business opportunities are outside the US and we have not looked at those up to this point. We have been too hesitant to invest. There are only three other global trade bodies in the sector, so the opportunity is there.

“We are trying to define a new CompTIA. This is almost a rebirth. Everything is under review. We are taking things from the ground up and re-evaluating them.”

Thibodeaux said people want a strong channel trade association and that CompTIA is looking to build a better sense of entrepreneurship, flexibility and working with partners. He added that previous management has had an “almost antagonistic” relationship with CompTIA’s members in the past.

“The key is to build a stronger membership strategy and business,” he said. “We need to implement a strategy that will keep people engaged through the whole year.
“We have a world of opportunities and are part of one of the most fantastic industries that has ever been created.”

Staying on song
Thibodeaux also said CompTIA has too many silos operating around the world, all with a different elevator pitch on what the organisation stands for.

“We want people to sing from the same sheet of music and also want our partners and members to feel like they know the organisation,” he said. “Members want to be listened to, not talked at. It is not a matter of waking up and giving a speech to someone without listening as well.”

He admitted that the CompTIA message has often been confusing, leading to people not knowing what the organisation represents.

“Six months from now we will have a clearer idea of what we are going to be,” he said. “We want to build an identity that stands for more than just training in the IT channel. Our brand awareness is starting from a low level ­ we might even change the brand and create an identity to grow and go forward.”
However, Thibodeaux admitted change is not an overnight process, and it could be up to two years before the real benefits of change become apparent.

“In 2009 outside the US, we will focus on building our certification business, although we will continue to serve our existing members first,” he said. “We have to take a step back to take a step forward.”

There will be some recruitment, particularly in Europe where the association is looking to build up its reseller members, he said.

He added that his goal was to improve the organisation’s membership retention rate.

“We want our retention rate to be more than 80 per cent,” he said.
To this end, CompTIA is building a new relationships department, to liaise constantly with members and ensure they are
satisfied with their service.

“People need to come and learn about why they should join CompTIA, and we want to make it easier for them to say yes to our membership,” he said.

Mark Evans, commercial director at security VAR Imerja, joined CompTIA this year and was positive about the trade body’s future direction.

“As a growing business in a buoyant sector, I see this relationship with CompTIA as a great opportunity for us to help influence what will become a leading voice in the IT industry and a welcome support for the reseller community,” he said.