Just yesterday I posed about CompTIA's Customer Service Excellence program. Now today, a tool for resellers. These guys are in the news often. I'll be finding time to talk with them in the next few weeks.

Computing Technology Industry Association Offers Enhanced Business Planning Tool for Technology Resellers
CompTIA Solution Provider Roadmap offers strategies for long-term growth and profitability

Oakbrook Terrace, IL, May 1, 2007 – The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), the leading trade association for the world’s information technology (IT) industry, today announced the availability of an enhanced business planning tool to help technology resellers achieve long-term growth and profitability.

The CompTIA Solution Provider Roadmap is an online tool that helps resellers analyze the strengths and weaknesses of their business, and identify strategies for change based on proven business models that generate consistent levels of profit and long-term growth.

“Customers are more sophisticated in the way they buy technology products and services,” said John Venator, president and chief executive officer, CompTIA. “They want solutions that solve business problems and demonstrate quick, quantifiable return on investment. Technology providers need to adapt to this changing landscape by conducting an honest and ongoing assessment of their current business model so they are positioned for success today and in the future. The CompTIA Solution Provider Roadmap will help resellers drive new revenue, reduce expenses and assure future viability and relevance in a fast-changing market.”

Companies that subscribe to the Roadmap are guided through a confidential, three-stage process:

• Discovery: A Quality Business Review (QBR) provides expert organizational analysis and change recommendations to identify specific aspects of your business where transformation may be appropriate.
• Plan to Succeed: This powerful transition planning tool uses data and recommendations from the QBR to further identify the need for business model change; and a scorecard for tracking progress on goals for high priority areas.
• Transformation: Identifies advisors, courses and other resources to help achieve the goals created in the Plan to Succeed.

The CompTIA Solution Provider Roadmap was developed with the assistance of leading technology manufacturers, distributors and resellers. Manufacturers endorsing this tool include Canon, GE Capital Solutions, IBM, Intel, McAfee, Microsoft, Ricoh, Symantec, and Xerox. For more information on the CompTIA Solution Provider Roadmap, visit http://roadmap.comptia.org/default.aspx .

About CompTIA
In 2007, the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Just as the IT industry it serves has grown, CompTIA has also enjoyed remarkable growth over the past 25 years. The organization was founded by representatives of five micro-computer dealerships working together to find better ways to do business. Today, CompTIA has more than 22,000 member companies in over 100 countries around the world; and serves as the voice of the world’s $1 trillion-plus IT industry. CompTIA is committed to advancing the long-term success and growth of the IT industry by helping organizations maximize the benefits they receive from their investments in technology; and by helping individuals to obtain the skills and credentials they need for productive careers in IT. For more information, please visit: www.comptia.org .