Established 28 years ago, the Computing Technology Industry Association (or 'CompTIA' for short) is a non-profit association. They've grown step by step and right now lead the world in I.T. accreditations that are vendor neutral. So they can independently create & control a complete range of I.T. industry exams and produce their very own accreditations which don't just apply to one specific vendor's products. With the current shift towards inter connectivity & systems 'convergence', this is seen as a welcome step for the IT trainee, as it offers cross platform learning & an understanding of 'integration'. Whenever a new exam is being assembled (or a previous one updated), CompTIA consults with top members of the industrial & academic world to produce balanced and very relevant material.

The 'A+' program and the 'Network+' training are 'CompTIA's' most widely recognised certifications. Both of them, as a group, create the building blocks of many contemporary IT career tracks - and for a good reason. A+ training covers all of the fundamentals of PC maintenance, fault-finding & repair; including installation, security and support. On top of that, the 'A+' covers certain relationship-building skill-sets to assist you to communicate better with other people. The CompTIA Network+ certification extends this expertise to a deeper understanding of networking, servers and routers, and exactly how they connect together. Both 'Security' & wireless technology are dealt with to a certain level. Both certifications complement one another well, & collectively provide an excellent starting platform for additional exam packages, or a strong career in IT support.

With regards to Network+ , the previous N10-003 has today been superseded by the N10-004, the 2009 edition. In addition to retaining it's focus on network management and infrastructure, the up-graded 2009 examination points to an increased importance on security, wireless-networking skills & network-design concepts.

Both exams have fairly recently gone through a 2009 'facelift' in line with CompTIA's advance towards 'ISO' standardisation. The former 'A+' (version 2006-2007) exams which were categorised using the 600 pre-fix are now being phased out globally during 2010. In the UK, they cease being offered on August 31st 2010. Up to that date, trainees can take either the '600' or the more recent 700 examinations in local test-centres (specifically 'Vue' & 'Prometric'). Logic dictates that new trainees should learn version 2009. A+ 2009 will now be offered as '220-701' 'CompTIA' A+ Essentials & '220-702' 'CompTIA' 'A+' Practical Application. As well as some more content on more recent technologies, we now have two examinations which cover aspects of all 4 of the past examinations. Although the previous A+ had four exams within the total program, just two were needed for the qualification. Over the last 4 years, the marketplace has progressed to the point where all four exams are now considered necessary - hence the re-formatting into two required exams. CompTIA also have produced the 'BR-003' bridging exam, for people qualified under the '600' examinations who want to update to the new '700' examinations. Successfully passing the up-grade exam will normally take more study, but it ought not to be especially onerous for people who initially studied all 4. The new technology subject areas will naturally need some extra studying.

For the 'A+' examinations set aside for yourself roughly 100-150 hours to train and prepare, & a bit less for the 'Network+' exams (perhaps close to 75 to 100 hours). Learning part-time, this could be done over a 6 month time period if you decide on an appropriate quality of training & superior examination preparation products.

Any of the job roles listed here will be appropriate for the individual holding a CompTIA A+ certification: Call Centre Technician, Depot Technician, Field Services Technician, PC Technician, Help Desk Technician, Remote Support Technician and IT Administrator. With the CompTIA Network+ as well, you're able to think about becoming a Network Installer, an IT Cable Installer, a Network Technician or a Network Administrator.

For the new entrant to I.T., CompTIA supplies the initial foundation training in various areas. Wherever a trainee chooses to build a career in IT, there are various CompTIA qualifications that will enhance their abilities. Individuals who are especially interested in Networking, Security, Systems, Support, Servers and Communications are particularly well served. 'CompTIA' are now also offering 'STRATA' accreditations : these are not necessarily for men and women working in the IT market, but for people whose positions would benefit from a basic knowledge of computing.

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