I’m a big believer in the power of community—of being a part of something that’s bigger than you to make you better than you otherwise might be.
It was one the reasons I joined CompTIA as a member more than 20 years ago as a small MSP in New Hampshire. The connections I made, the things I learned, the resources I had access to helped me grow and be more successful than I would have on my own. I gave a lot to the association—eventually being elected to the board of directors and later joining the organization—but I always got back more than I gave.
But, in some respects, we have also been the industry’s best kept secret. That’s about to change. Going forward, we will be known as the Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA). That name was carefully chosen by our board of directors for its simplicity and its directness. We truly are singularly focused now to deliver more value to our members around the world and have a much greater impact on the IT channel and the industry-at-large.
With our new name comes the opportunity to improve and reimagine the community we’ve built together. We’ll continue to provide the same benefits, resources, events and education that our members know and love as we blaze new trails as the only global, vendor-neutral and non-profit association for MSPs, vendors, distributors and other companies serving the IT channel ecosystem.
We’ll have a lot to share over the coming months, but I want to detail five things you should know right now about GTIA as we continue our vision and mission to contribute to the growth of the IT channel and embark on the next chapter of our journey together.
- We are now the Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA). GTIA is not a new association, nor was it sold. It's the continuation of the same vendor-neutral, non-profit trade association that has existed for the past 42 years, now with a new name, governed by the same volunteer board of directors with the same team you know. Our association mission is the same. But our reach and impact will grow for the benefit of all members.
- GTIA is fully funded by an endowment. Instead of funding our budget from revenue-generating business activities, an endowment has been created which will fund our annual budget. What does this mean for members? For starters, it means membership dues will continue to be kept as low as possible.
- There will be no interruption in membership benefits. All existing member benefits and programs will remain, including the Cybersecurity Trustmark, the Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO), access to industry research and business tools, networking and regional communities, discounts on CompTIA certification and training products, and free registration to events including ChannelCon, the Communities and Councils Forum (CCF) and regional community meetings around the world. And there’s more to come!
- We will be increasing our charitable giving. We are extremely proud of our giving program and will continue to focus on philanthropic efforts that help our industry and society—with an opportunity to give even more. We’ll keep you updated on our plans to expand this program over the coming year.
- We can reimagine as we grow. This is an incredible opportunity to reimagine our impact on the IT channel and technology industry. We welcome everyone to engage with us as we start a new chapter for the association as GTIA. We plan to hold a couple of open forums later this month where we will invite everyone in the IT channel, members and non-members, to provide input, ask questions and offer suggestions about how GTIA can help your business and your employees. Stay tuned to our Events page for dates and times.
Simply put, GTIA is the right place for IT channel professionals and organizations looking to build their business, connect with other channel professionals, give back to our industry and meet career goals. Follow us on LinkedIn for exciting updates and information! #WeAreGTIA
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MJ Shoer is the chief community officer at GTIA.