H.I.G. Capital and Thoma Bravo have signed a definitive agreement to acquire CompTIA’s brand and products. CompTIA, known for its vendor-neutral credentials, has awarded over 3.5 million certifications globally, focusing on areas such as cybersecurity and cloud computing. Following the acquisition, CompTIA will operate as a for-profit company under H.I.G. and Thoma Bravo’s ownership. Its existing membership-based, 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization will be separated from CompTIA and continue its mission of service to the IT industry. The transaction is expected to close in early 2025, pending regulatory approval.
MJ Shoer of CompTIA posted online “The result of this split will ensure the financial solvency of the Association in perpetuity, allowing us to increase our global focus and develop even more meaningful member benefits.”
Why do we care?
The training business is now a for-profit business. Any pretense of “we do this for the industry” is gone. That likely doesn’t matter; just note that profit is now the motivation, not the industry’s platitudes. Thus, CompTIA Certification is no longer like the American Bar Association’s mission to serve the public.
CompTIA sells the parts of revenue-generating lines of business that were making money and supporting the Association, leaving a critical question. Is that Association capable of being stand-alone? To date, it has not been required to do so, and so the question is this – do you believe that the mission of service to the IT industry is defined enough, and are the leaders there capable of executing to that mission? Shoer’s comments imply an endowment model where the Association operates off annual payouts from its investment portfolio. We’ll have to see what comes of this.
You should reevaluate your relationships with the now for-profit certification business and the now-differently funded Association.