CompTIA sets out to woo channel

IT trade body the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) plans to cement its place as the mouthpiece for the UK channel in 2008.

The organisation, which recently claimed one in three resellers could fall victim to a potential skills shortage, has started an aggressive reseller recruitment drive.
Matthew Poyiadgi, EMEA vice president at CompTIA, said: “We have built up a strong profile in the US and have been given the green light by our board to really ramp up our profile in the UK channel.
“We want to give the channel the things they need to be more effective in business. These include toolkits to help increase sales performance, certification and training, resource CDs on issues such as skills, staffing and recruitment, and research papers on industry trends.”
Poyiadgi said VARs will be charged a flat fee of £99 per year to join CompTIA and stressed that the organisation needed reseller input to form its UK strategy.
“We want to sit around a table with resellers and really listen to them tell us how we can help them to improve their business,” he said.
However, he admitted that CompTIA faces a challenge: “We know it will not be easy, but we also know that if we deliver we will earn credibility with the channel very quickly.”
Keith Warburton, chief executive of rival trade association the Professional Computing Association, said: “We have over 800 members and I do not see CompTIA having a major impact on any other UK trade association. It will be interesting to see how its plans develop.”
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