CompTIA Announces 2015 IT Hall Of Fame Inductees

Scott Cook, Founder of Intuit and Sam Palmisano, Former IBM CEO Recognized as Visionaries and Industry Innovators

CompTIA recently announced two distinguished technology leaders – Scott Cook, Founder of Intuit and Sam Palmisano, former CEO of IBM – will be inducted into the IT Hall of Fame. The awards ceremony takes place at the CompTIA Annual Member Meeting March 24-26, 2015 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Cook, elected to the IT Innovator Wing of the IT Hall of Fame, is honored for co-founding Intuit, a creator of business and financial management solutions for small businesses, consumers and accounting professionals. A former brand and product marketing manager for Procter & Gamble, Cook co-founded Intuit with the vision of helping individuals and small business owners to simplify, organize and automate their finances using the power of technology.

“Cook is an innovator that realized early on software must be simple, easy to use and solve a pain point in order to really connect with small businesses and consumers,” said the IT Hall of Fame selection committee. “From day one, Intuit has become synonymous with accounting and back-office administration technology for small businesses. It remains one of the most successful software companies to be founded not only by a computer scientist, but by a brand-focused entrepreneur.”

“It is an honor to be elected to the IT Hall of Fame and be recognized as one of the industry’s top business and technology leaders,” says Cook. “Greatness comes from experimentation. Listen to what the market is telling you, learn how to move quickly and never be afraid to try new things.”

Palmisano, elected to the IT Channel Wing of the IT Hall of Fame, is recognized for his legacy as CEO of IBM from 2002 through 2011. During his tenure, Palmisano oversaw IBM’s initial push into outsourcing and cloud services, and was responsible for launching IBM’s Smarter Planet Initiative, which was an umbrella strategy for Big Data and the Internet of Things solutions. In 2005, he shocked the industry by selling IBM’s personal computing business to Lenovo, which has grown to be one of the fastest growing PC brands in the IT channel. Palmisano made another swift move, diversifying IBM’s portfolio to include software and purchasing dozens of companies near the end of his tenure as CEO to solidify the move. Another major area of focus for Palmisano was IBM’s channel loyalty and continued emphasis on mutual success.

“Palmisano encouraged VARs, systems integrators and ISVs to continuously improve their value proposition and technical skills sets,” said the selection committee. “Even today, IBM continues to aggressively support its channel, and recently increased the resources it is putting forth to enable partner growth by double-digit percentages.”

“Thank you to CompTIA and the IT Hall of Fame committee for presenting me with this industry honor,” says Palmisano. “Business enablement, partner engagement and development were all areas of strategic focus during my tenure at IBM. In order to be successful long-term, a company must stay focused on innovation, what the customer wants and what the future holds.”

Re-established by CompTIA in 2011, the IT Hall of Fame has a long history of recognizing both individuals who have made outstanding contributions or provided exceptional service to the IT channel; and those responsible for outstanding technology innovations. Past honorees include Robert Faletra, John Chambers, Michael Dell, Larry Ellison, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Bob Metcalfe and Gordon Moore. For a complete roster of IT Hall of Fame inductees click here (http://www.comptia.org/about-us/it-hall-of-fame/inducted-members).

About CompTIA
CompTIA is the voice of the world’s IT industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications and public policy advocacy. For more information, visit CompTIA online (http://www.comptia.org/).