CompTIA creates blockchain industry group to promote new use cases

March 19, 2021 John Blockchain 0

The Blockchain Technology Interest Group will try to expand interest and understanding of how it can be used.

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Nonprofit tech industry association CompTIA has announced that it is creating a new blockchain-specific technology industry group in order to help those interested in business-use-cases for the technology.

CompTIA has a number of technology interest groups and the CompTIA Blockchain TIG will attempt to foster a larger community of people and organizations interested in blockchain technology and solutions. 

The organization originally revealed it would be creating the technology industry group during the Communities & Councils Forum Online event this week. The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a group striving to represent the voices of the thousands of people working in the information technology field globally. 

SEE: What is blockchain? Understanding the technology and the revolution (free PDF) (TechRepublic Premium)

“With growing interest in the deployment of blockchain technology in business applications, the time is right for us to expand our offerings related to this emerging technology,” said Nancy Hammervik, executive vice president of industry relations and CEO of the CompTIA Tech Careers Academy. 

Members of the group will gain access to resources and forums where the community will be able to promote different use cases, share ideas, hold in-depth discussions and make connections to network with peers. 

CompTIA already has the Blockchain Advisory Council and the technology industry group will build on the organization’s expertise in the space. The council is currently made up of industry leaders and innovators while also finding ways for “technology companies and their customers can leverage blockchain technology in their businesses,” according to a statement from the organization. 

“The Blockchain Technology Interest Group is designed for the curious and the experienced to share ideas and discussions related to blockchain technology,” said Kathleen Martin, senior manager for CompTIA’s member communities and technology interest groups.  

“With the support of CompTIA’s Blockchain Advisory Council we can tap the expertise of top blockchain experts to provide guidance about the real-world applications and understandings of this emerging technology.”

The Blockchain Advisory Council has already put together guides and articles for those interested in blockchain technology. 

The Blockchain Technology Interest Group will be the fourth technology industry group CompTIA has created, with the others involving Advancing Women in Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Drones.

Membership in all of the groups is free. 

Experts like Garret Grajek, CEO of YouAttest, said the infusion of blockchain into mainstream technology is at its infancy, even as the use of blockchain as a non-denominational currency is becoming well-established.

But more enterprises are seeing the value of distributed file system validated by the blockchain, he added. 

“There is a whole other world that we are exploring – that is using the blockchain for attestation.  By its very nature, blockchain stores records that are cryptographically signed in its immutable ledger,” Grajek said. 

“There seems to be solid grounds for research and products for attestation of authentication, authorization, data access and other security events – and the need for a TIG.  This is an important area where we see blockchain intersecting with its own products and mainstream IT.”

K2 Cyber Security vice president Timothy Chiu said technology industry groups help bring enthusiasts with the same interests together, which is always beneficial to the technology.

“Besides expanding the members’ knowledge about the technology, these groups provide a sounding board for new ideas and improvements, and offer a vehicle to recruit more interest in the technology.  Also, when members share how they use the technology, it often sparks ideas amongst other members for similar use cases in other industries/technologies,” Chiu said. 

The groups will also have benefits for retail cryptocurrency investors eager to learn more about the technology backing their investments. 

Jeff Steuart, a retired IT manager and active crypto investor, explained that the technology itself is still fairly opaque to a vast majority of investors but that more people are starting to discover applications of blockchain technology. 

“Non-technical actionable information, as opposed to media hype of crypto currencies and blockchain in general, will be highly valued by investors in the sector,” Steuart told TechRepublic.  

“While providing a general forum for emerging blockchain developers and application discussions, resources such as CompTIA’s ‘Blockchain Technology Interest Group’ are also positioned to also attract and hold the interest of the retail investor class of blockchain actors.”

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