Set up 28 years ago, the Computing Technology Industry Association (or CompTIA in short) is a not-for-profit institution. The company offers vendor neutral qualifications that have made it a world number one in this industry. This means they can supply & oversee independent industry-recognised I.T. exams & certifications that don't support a single company's interests above another. This is very good for IT students, as they can learn about different platforms & how they 'inter-connect' and integrate with one another - a common scenario now in industry. Every time a new examination is being developed (or a previous one updated), CompTIA consults with leading members of the professional and academic world in order to produce balanced & extremely relevant content.

The 'A+' program and the 'Network+' training are 'CompTIA's' flagship accreditations. An extremely important group taken as a bundle, they're the starting place for a lot of effective career tracks. 'A+' training covers all the fundamental basics of PC maintenance, fault finding & repair; including installation, security and support. Additionally , it covers several personal & communication skill-sets needed to get into I.T.. Network+ takes the subject further, by working on a more in-depth knowledge of how networks operate & communicate with each other. Security is naturally very important, and wireless technology is discussed to some extent. The two accreditations go with one another well, and together provide an excellent starting platform for other examination packages, or a good career in IT support.

The 'CompTIA' A+ examinations are principally designed for anybody hoping to start a job in any of these roles: Remote Support Technician, Call Centre and Depot Technician, Field Service Technician, Help Desk Technician, PC Technician and IT Administrator. CompTIA 'Network+' opens up opportunities for Network Administrators and Technicians, IT Cable Installers & Network Installers.

For a new entrant to I.T., 'CompTIA' supplies the basic foundation training programs in numerous areas. Typically, individuals who are looking for employment opportunities within Networking, Servers, Systems, Security, Support & Communications can start with CompTIA, however students within any sector could find a CompTIA certification a worthwhile component of their Resume. A new package of starter level courses called 'STRATA' have been released by 'CompTIA'. These are designed for people who could do with a more effective idea of basic IT knowledge, but do not always work in I.T. themselves.

In 2009 both programmes under-went updates, and new exams are actually available for each of them. 'A+' exams that started with the prefix '600' (i.e. the 2006/2007 edition) are being phased-out around the world. After 31st August 2010 they will not be obtainable in the United Kingdom. Because both the '600', & the recently released 700 examinations are now allowed to be taken in 'prometric' & 'Vue' test centres, it's sensible to study the 700 exams now, & not have to re-certify later on. The specific A+ '09 exams have become: 'CompTIA' A+ Essentials (exam 220-701) & 'CompTIA' A+ Practical Application (exam 220/702.) Along with some added content on more recent technologies, we now have two exams which cover aspects of all 4 of the past examinations. The previous format was 1 compulsory 'essentials' exam & 3 'electives', of which only one was required to be taken. But as the industry has moved on, the knowledge from all four exams is now deemed crucial, & thus has been fine-tuned into 2 required assessments. Those who have previously taken the '600' examination can bring their certification up-to-date by taking a bridging examination : BR/003. Passing the upgrade exam will in most cases demand additional study, but this shouldn't be especially difficult for those who initially studied all four. Plainly though the new technological subjects will have to be mastered.

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