CompTIA and TechAmerica merger could yield perfect partnership
The success of a technology merger ultimately comes down to two categories of details: how each company is similar, and how they differ. When it comes to CompTIA's acquisition of TechAmerica, how well the businesses blend may ultimately depend on the latter.
On the surface, the companies occupy more or less the same space. They're both major players in the information technology sector, and are each focused on innovation solutions to digital issues.
Dig a little bit deeper, though, and the differences become apparent. While CompTIA has focused primarily on workforce and cyber-security, TechAmerica mostly dedicates its time to trade-related issues, particularly those related to net neutrality. To that end, CompTIA is well-situated to provide education and put on events, while TechAmerica's strength has traditionally been its ability to lobby successfully.
It's these differences that could prove to be the thing that makes this merger successful. CompTIA has more names, but TechAmerica's are bigger. The new organization will bear the former's name, but will use the latter's brand when it comes to its lobbying efforts.
In an interview with the Washington Business Journal, CompTIA CEO Todd Thibodeaux was effusive about the possibilities.
"Up until this point, we only represented the IT channel, and not as much the enterprise or public-sector side. This was a natural fit for us. There's not a lot of overlapping programs or priorities," he explained.
For TechAmerica's part, this could be the perfect time to shake things up. After months and months of litigation that was just settled recently, the company is in a prime position to make a big change. Between their similarities and their differences, CompTIA could just be the perfect fit.