In addition, we’ve updated your A+ practice exams, study guides, guide content, assessment quizzes, certificate of mastery exams and more. It’s like a whole new course! The brand new A+ is available for check out right now in your Ultimate Access library.

Looking to advance your IT career? LearnSmart offers the absolute best training materials for technologies including CompTIA A+, Network+,  MCITP Certification, CCNA Training and more. The LearnSmart Cloud Classroom makes studying better and more convenient by putting your training in the Cloud and supporting compatibility with most mobile devices including the iPad 2, Android and many more.

Mike Meyers, author of the best-selling A+ Certification book on the market and leading authority on IT certifications, uses his fun and goofy sense of humor in a way that makes learning about essential hardware, software and application topics entertaining and enjoyable to watch! He covers all of the topics on the A+ exams, including important on-the-job info like professionalism, communication….even hygiene!

Here’s a short sample of the CompTIA A+ Essentials LearnSmart Video Training course. In this video clip, Mike Meyers shows you the beginning steps to installing a CPU:

The CompTIA CTP+ certification exam covers requirements for analysis, implementation and management of basic data components and voice and multimedia applications, as well as basic problem analysis and resolution for convergent technologies.

Among the topics covered in the exam are:

• Planning IP networks
• Wireless networking
• Voice and telephony services, functions and technologies including protocols, and voice troubleshooting in digital and analog environments
• Identifying requirements for transporting text, voice, video, modem and fax through a converged solution
• Identifying security issues for converged networks

Basic Exam Details:

• Number of questions: 65
• Length of test: 90 minutes
• Passing score: 750
• Language: English
• Exam code: CN0-201

Though not a prerequisite for CompTIA CTP+ certification, it’s recommended that candidates are CompTIA Network+ certified or have equivalent knowledge as well as 18 to 24 months of work experience in data networking, telephony and other convergence-related technologies.

For more information about the new CompTIA CTP+ visit CompTIA.org.

Learn more about earning a CompTIA certification with PrepLogic’s LearnSmart Online Classroom by calling an account representative at 1-800-418-6789.

The theme of the contest is “Why Certify”. Contestants were asked to submit a 60-second video telling a story about their adventures as a CompTIA-certified IT professional.  And there are some really entertaining and creative entries! Videos range from a rapping technician, to a spy themed IT special agent to a CompTIA boogie.

Support your fellow IT peers (and get a good chuckle while you’re at it) by placing your vote for your favorite CompTIA Get IT Video Contest contestant at http://www.comptiagetitvideocontest.com/comptia/.

Professional certifications are already viewed by hiring managers as a high-value validation of IT skills. The CompTIA study suggests certifications will grow in importance as organizations seek to fill tech jobs. Eight in ten human resources (HR) professionals surveyed believe IT certifications will grow in usefulness and importance over the next two years. But employers also expressed concerns about some aspects of using IT certifications in the hiring process. There is a perception among some hiring IT managers that the HR department does not have a solid understanding of IT certifications. Some firms also said verifying a job candidate’s credentials can be a challenge due to the time involved and effort required.

Experience, track record and accomplishments rank as the most important factors when evaluating job candidates, according to the study. But education and credentials such as certifications also rank high. For example, 86 percent of hiring managers indicate IT certifications are a high or medium priority during the candidate evaluation process.

The study suggests that certifications will become even more important as employers struggle to find individuals to fill job openings. Despite a virtual buyer’s market for hiring, roughly eight in ten HR executives in the United States said it’s challenging to find the right candidate with the right skill set to fill their openings. Many IT managers in the study share a similar view. Tim Herbert, vice president, research, CompTIA notes, “In an environment of needing to do more with less, organizations cannot afford the time and cost of bringing on a new employee who cannot contribute immediately.”

The CompTIA study Employer Perception of IT Training and Certification is the result of two separate online surveys: to 1,385 business and IT executives that made a recent IT hiring decision in the United States, United Kingdom and South Africa; and to 300 HR professionals in the U.S.

PrepLogic offers training for over a hundred different certifications, including CompTIA certifications, Cisco certifications and MCITP certifications. Visit http://www.preplogic.com to learn more about advancing your career with affordable IT skills training.

The deadline to nominate an individual or group for the IT Hall of Fame Class of 2011 is Tuesday, February 1st. Only 6 days away!

The IT Hall of Fame consists of two wings: the IT Channel Wing for individuals who have made outstanding contributions or provided outstanding service to the IT channel; and the IT Innovators Wing, recognizing individuals responsible for outstanding technology innovations.

Any individual, living or deceased, who has pioneered or uniquely helped the IT channel flourish or who is responsible for a major IT innovation, is eligible for induction.

Criteria for election to the IT Channel Wing include:

• Significant experience in the IT channel
• Innovative product/service or marketing introductions
• Service in an important capacity in or related to the IT channel (e.g. volunteer board position)
• An unimpeachable record of integrity and respect in the channel
• A prominent role in promoting the public’s awareness of the IT channel as a significant and responsible member of the business community

For the IT Innovator Wing, nominee criteria include:

• Creator of a major innovation in IT
• An unimpeachable record of integrity and respect in the industry

All nominees will be considered and voted on by an independent Hall of Fame selection committee. Between two and six individuals or groups will be selected for induction. Inductees for 2011 will be honored at the CompTIA Annual Member Meeting April 7, 2011 in Chicago.

This information was found at http://www.comptia.org/news

To inquire about CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+ and many other CompTIA certifications please give one of our account representatives a call at 1-800- 418-6789.

Anyone CompTIA A+, Network+ or Security+ certified after January 1, 2011 will be required to renew their certification every three years. For all of those anxiety ridden test takers shivering at the thought of taking a certification exam every three years, there is another option. Your certification can be renewed by participating in CompTIA’s Continuing Education Program, which allows individuals to keep their skills current and their certifications up-to-date without retesting.

In order to renew your certification via the continuing education program, you must earn a set amount of “continuing education units (CEUs)”. To renew CompTIA A+ requires 20 CEUs; to renew CompTIA Network+, 30 CEUs; and to renew CompTIA Security+, 50 CEUs.  CompTIA has created a chart of qualifying activities that can earn you CEUs. Generally speaking, these activities consist of a wide array of educational and learning opportunities including:

• Teaching, lecturing or presenting on relevant industry topics
• Participating non-degree courses or computer- based training
• Attending relevant industry conferences and events
• Publishing articles, white papers, blog posts or books on relevant topics
• Obtaining other industry certifications
• Passing the most current exam for your CompTIA certification

For a detailed list of qualified activities see CompTIA Continuing Education Qualified Activities Chart.

The CompTIA Continuing Education Program uses a Web-based system linked to the existing database that CompTIA certification holders use. Once you’ve enrolled in the program, you can submit continuing education units and track your status online as you work toward your target CEU amount. As part of the ongoing audit process, subject matter experts will review activity submissions to ensure what is being completed is relevant to your continuing education program level, demonstrating knowledge equal to or above your current certifications.

There is a small fee required of participants in the CompTIA Continuing Education Program. CompTIA explains the annual maintenance fee offsets the costs associated for the administration and hosting of the continuing education program and system. The annual fee is $25 for CompTIA A+ certified individuals or $49 for CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ certified individuals.

For more in depth information about CompTIA’s Continuing Education Program, visit http://www.comptia.org/.

PrepLogic offers CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+ computer-based-training, Mega Guides, Practice Exams and Audiobooks. Call 1-800-418-6789 to speak with an account representative about becoming CompTIA certified.

If you are one of the many techies who earned a “lifetime” CompTIA certification prior to January 1, 2011, you have not been bamboozled. The new renewal policy does not affect those individuals who were certified prior to 2011. All individuals certified on or before December 31, 2010 will retain their “certified for life” status. So what’s the catch? There is no catch…per say. But there is a difference between a person’s certificate who certified before 2011 and a person who certifies now, in 2011.

Anyone certified before 2011 will have no valid through date on their certificate or certificate holder CompTIA ID card. Anyone certified on or after January 1, 2011 will receive a certificate and certificate holder CompTIA ID card with an expiration date, along with a “ce” notation.  The ce notation denotes the new CompTIA Continuing Education (CE) Program associated with the renewal program and signifies that the certification will expire three years from the date certified.

If you are planning on getting CompTIA A+, Network+ or Security+ certified, there is an alternative to taking a new exam every three years. The certification renewal policy includes the continuing education component that allows certified individuals to renew their certifications by earning continuing education units, opposed to retaking the most current version of the CompTIA A+, Network+ or Security+ every three years.  CompTIA.org reports, “The CompTIA Continuing Education (CE) Program has been designed to allow individuals a cost-effective method for keeping certifications current through the completion of variety of activities that demonstrate relevant industry knowledge.” (Look for more on CompTIA’s Continuing Education Program in a future blog).

What’s the reason for this policy change? Why are CompTIA certifications no longer “good for life?”  CompTIA’s Continuing Education Program and Certification Renewal Policy cites:

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), an international body which standardizes the procedures used by personnel certification bodies, requires that individuals have a way to renew the currency of their certification on a regular basis. In CompTIA’s case, that renewal will occur every three years.

This change in policy is in line with the practice of other major providers of certifications for IT professionals. In today’s IT environment it’s important for IT professionals to demonstrate that their knowledge and skills are current. CompTIA’s new renewal program is a way to assist those individuals who would like to take advantage of it. Our certification renewal program includes a continuing education component that gives eligible certification holders a range of ways to keep their CompTIA certifications current without necessarily having to take a new exam.

As we all know, technology is ever-evolving and constantly changing. And in order for your certifications to stay relevant in this fast-paced technological world, those certs must reflect that your IT skills have evolved along with technology. And with CompTIA’s A+, Network+ and Security+ continually being updated with new content developed in conjunction  with the latest must-know subject matter, having to renew your certifications will demonstrate to employers that your IT knowledge is up-to-date and pertinent.

In honor of this day, CompTIA is giving a %15 discount on the CompTIA Project+ exam.  For those of you who are planning on earning a CompTIA Project+, there is no better time than today to sign up! For more information, please visit the CompTIA website.

PrepLogic offers CompTIA Project + training and PMP training.

So here’s to you project managers!  We appreciate all that you do!

As a web-based IT training company, PrepLogic provides high level skills training and IT certification exam preparation to people all over the world. They offer computer-based and interactive training for such IT skills as system administration, networking, security, voice technologies and project management. Individuals and companies can choose from a wide array of well-respected IT certification vendors, including Cisco training, MCITP training and CompTIA training. PrepLogic has helped thousands of people earn IT certifications in their twelve year history.

PrepLogic’s $5,000 contribution will fund five “Big” and “Little” matches. “We are really excited and proud to take part in such a great organization,” said PrepLogic’s President Jay Gandee. “Big Brothers Big Sisters has really made a difference in the lives of children here in Tampa Bay. We are thrilled to be a part of that and help out however we can.”

“The lingering impact of the recession has affected children living with families at or below the poverty level the most,” said Stephen Koch, Big Brothers Big Sisters President and CEO.  “PrepLogic’s investment in services for kids who need it the most is an inspiring example of corporate philanthropy at its best.  We know from our documented outcomes that providing these children with a properly screened and trained volunteer will change their perspectives on life and consequently, change their lives forever.  We applaud PrepLogic for their generosity and focus on the future……our children.”

To find out more about the 2nd Annual Golf Fore Kids’ Sake Scramble, call 813-769-3600 or visit the Big Brothers Big Sisters website.

For more information about PrepLogic, call PrepLogic at 1-800-418-6789 or visit http://www.preplogic.com/.