Like many of us, you might have been surprised to see the news at the end of 2024 of a CompTIA acquisition. The not-for-profit global organisation provides training, certification and networking opportunities for managed service providers (MSPs) and IT professionals.
But while it was unexpected to its members, there are a lot of positives to come out of this. So what does it mean for MSPs?
The CompTIA Acquisition
First of all, who’s behind the acquisition of CompTIA? As Channel E2E reported, two private equity firms have been involved: HIG Capital and Thoma Bravo.
The intention is to split the organisation into a for-profit business unit and a separate non-profit trade association, with the changes starting in 2025.
President and CEO, Todd Thibodeux, gave a statement to explain why this is good news for members:
“The acquisition will benefit the company by providing more money for the soon-to-be-separate side of the trade association to better serve its members with IT resources and assistance to grow their businesses.”
But many in the industry asked ‘why now?’ when CompTIA has been going for over 40 years. One IT analyst suggested that it was a way to make the certification side of the organisation more profitable. However, he added:
“Fees for CompTIA services may increase, but the change of ownership is probably not significant.”
The CompTIA Statement on the Acquisition
CompTIA’s press office also made a statement back in December 2024, reminding readers that it’s the “largest vendor-neutral credentialling programme for technology workers, awarding 3.5m certifications to date.”
The changes, which are being rolled out now (early 2025), will see CompTIA will operate as a for-profit company under H.I.G. and Thoma Bravo’s ownership. Its existing membership-based, nonprofit organisation will be separated from CompTIA and continue its mission of service to the IT industry.
Thibodeaux added:
“We are thrilled to be joining forces with two leading, experienced investors in the technology space, whose expertise and resources will allow us to expand our impact on the global IT industry.
“We will be well-positioned to accelerate and expand the rollout of products and services to train the highly skilled workers of the future.”
Are you a CompTIA member? What do you think of this news? Let us know in the comments!
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Richard Tubb is one of the best-known experts within the global IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) community. He launched and sold his own MSP business before creating a leading MSP media and consultancy practice. Richard helps IT business owner’s take back control by freeing up their time and building a business that can run without them. He’s the author of the book “The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide” and writer of the award-winning blog www.tubblog.co.uk
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