'CompTIA' (Computing Technology Industry Association) is a not for profit company formed in the early 1980's. They've built through the years to become the number one in vendor neutral IT accreditation. This fundamentally means they're free to independently generate and monitor examinations and certifications that are required by the I.T. market, irrespective of a particular business' commercial interests. This is excellent for students, because they can be taught about different platforms and how they 'inter-connect' and integrate with one another - a not unusual scenario today. 'CompTIA' brings together various business and academic industry groups when designing or updating an examination, to ensure all sides are considered & the very best commercially relevant syllabuses are created.

With regard to 'Network+' , the previous N10-003 has now been updated by the 'N10-004', the 2009 version. As well as the strong element of managing networks and their internal infrastructure, the new examination concentrates to a great extent on design, security & wireless skills.

For a new trainee to I.T., 'CompTIA' provides the basic foundation training programs in many areas. Usually, students who are aiming for employment opportunities in Networking, Servers, Systems, Security, Support and Communications should probably begin with 'CompTIA', but in fact students within any IT sector would find a CompTIA accreditation a helpful addition to their Resume. There is certainly also now a drive at CompTIA to offer their beginner level STRATA courses to those individuals who don't work within IT, but would reap some benefits from an understanding of basic IT and exactly how it impacts their work.

If you're focused on any of these work opportunities, the 'A+' will work well : Remote Support Technician, Call Centre and Depot Technician, Help Desk Technician, Field Service Technician, PC Technician & IT Administrator. CompTIA Network+ unwraps possibilities for Network Administrators and Technicians, Network Installers and IT Cable Installers.

Of course these jobs often lead to far more senior assignments if the correct accreditations are in place. That's why it's very important to look at your long-term options before choosing your career-training path. The way to maximise your career-path fully is always to get advice from an industry expert ahead of starting out with your training program. Training organisations may offer to develop a bespoke training path by combining a number of programs that will get the individual from where they are now to where they would like to go.

The 'A+' training and the Network+ program are CompTIA's flagship certifications. Collectively they encompass the first step toward many career paths in I.T., and consequently are market leaders within their industry. The 'CompTIA' A+ qualification covers the basics of computer maintenance, security, installation, support, fault-finding and repair. In addition, the 'A+' deals with certain relationship building skillsets to help you communicate much better with others. Advancing this awareness, the Network+ certification examines networks, (which includes routers and servers) and describes exactly how they communicate with each other. Both 'Security' & wireless technology are dealt with to some degree. 'CompTIA' 'A+' & N+ provide a firm base for a systems career in IT, and furthermore a very good platform for various other more senior accreditation programs.

Both of the exams have fairly recently gone through a 2009 'facelift' in line with CompTIA's advance towards 'ISO' standardisation. A+ examinations that commenced using the prefix '600' (that is the 2006/2007 version) are being phased-out worldwide. After 31st August 2010 they will not be obtainable in Britain. Since both the '600', & the new 700 exams at the moment are available to sit in 'prometric' & Vue test-centres, it's sensible to study for the 700 examinations now, & not have to certify again later on. 'A+' '09 will now be offered as 220-701 CompTIA 'A+' Essentials and 220/702 'CompTIA' 'A+' Practical Application. Together with some extra subject matter on more recent technology, we now have two examinations that cover elements of all four of the preceding exams. Initially, the A+ was split into 4 exams: 1 essential & 3 elective specialisations. During the last several years, the marketplace has developed to the stage where all four exams are actually thought to be essential - hence the re-formatting in to 2 essential examinations. An up-grade examination has been produced by 'CompTIA' for those who have the older certification. BR-003 is the reference number. Passing the up-grade exam will in most cases require more study, but this ought not to be especially much of a challenge for those who initially studied all 4. The new technology topics will undoubtedly necessitate some fresh learning.

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