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From Internet of Things to artificial intelligence, these innovations have the greatest potential to make near-term impacts on business

Downers Grove, Ill. – The newest member community established by CompTIA, the leading trade association for the global technology industry, is encouraging the adoption of new and emerging technologies to improve business outcomes, but in a rational, thoughtful way that makes sense for tech companies and their customers alike.

The CompTIA Emerging Technology Community includes industry executives and thought leaders who have both a keen sense of new technologies, and insight into how to create business opportunities and transform business operations.

“It’s an exciting time for innovation on many fronts,” said Estelle Johannes, CompTIA’s staff liaison to the community. “The challenge for many organizations is to separate hype from reality, and to identify those new technologies that make the most sense for them. We’ve recruited some of the brightest minds in our industry to help lead that effort.”

Among all the innovations generating a buzz in 2018, community leaders have identified 10 with the potential to make the greatest immediate impact on business operations for customers and to create business opportunities for IT channel companies.

1. Internet of Things
2. Automation
3. Artificial Intelligence
4. Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality
5. 5G Wireless
6. 3D Printing
7. Drones
8. Biometrics
9. Blockchain
10. Quantum Computing

“The channel is looking to cut through the consumer hype and build practices around those technologies that provide near-term and profitable extensions to their businesses,” said Jay McBain, principal analyst, global channels, Forrester, and vice chairman of the CompTIA Emerging Technology Community. ”These 10 technologies were stack-ranked by partners who are engaging with customers and finding interesting niches in the market.”

“Emerging technologies are changing the business landscape and enabling people and organizations to engage, learn, serve and grow in new and different ways,” said Scott Zahl, vice president, global vendor management, Ingram Micro Inc., and a member of the Emerging  Technology Community. “These ten technologies are transformative and bring with them a tremendous opportunity for the channel to lead and serve as trusted advisors.”

The CompTIA Emerging Technology Community is chaired by Michael Haines, director of partner incentive strategy and program design at Microsoft.

Other members of the community’s leadership group are Ted Cole, vice president, partner optimizer relationships, SaaSMAX; Paul Cronin, facilitator of excellence, Cronin Corp. Business Consulting; Suzanne Edwards, CEO, Enlighten; Julia Moiseeva, director, FinTest, Ltd.; and David Tan, chief technology officer and co-founder, CrushBank.

The community is developing guidance for organizations on the factors to consider when contemplating which emerging technologies are best for them, whether as a seller of technology solutions or as a consumer of emerging tech. This includes examining the competencies and dependencies that they will need to know before they can properly engage with emerging technologies.

The group’s top 10 list is available in both infographic and video formats.

To learn more about the CompTIA Emerging Technology Community or to get involved with the group visit https://www.comptia.org/communities/emerging-technology.

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About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $4.8 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the more than 35 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world’s economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. Visit www.comptia.org to learn more.

Contact:

Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
sostrowski@comptia.org­
1-630-678-8468