Some IT certification vendors create their own books, videos, courses, and so forth, to help exam candidates prepare for certification. There are a number of different companies, however, whose entire business model is to develop and market study and training materials that help tech learners prepare for and pass certification exams created and administered by separate, unrelated organizations.

As of this week, there’s a new player in the highly competitive IT certification study and training arena. Tech industry association CompTIA, whose array of certification offerings includes the massively popular trio of core skills credentials, A+, Network+, and Security+, has officially cut the ribbon on a “latest and greatest” digital storefront dubbed CompTIA Marketplace in a press release, but branded CompTIA Store at the site itself.

Whatever you call it, CompTIA’s new online certification store represents a bold new foray for the Illinois-based organization, whose most notable study and training offering up until now has been CertMaster, its still relatively new online training tool. Thanks to its recent purchase of gtslearning, however, as well as the acquisition of training content from Logical Operations, CompTIA can now sell in its own store under its own brand.

CompTIA Store does feature study and training content produced by what would now have to be at least somewhat considered rival organizations. At the very least, CompTIA now has the potential of taking a middleman cut from the sale of popular training products that prepare individuals to take and pass its certification exams.

At least on the surface, however, it would appear that there’s no animosity toward CompTIA from some of those study and training vendors. As noted by CompTIA CEO Todd Thibodeaux in the press release (linked above) announcing the launch of CompTIA Store, an official CompTIA digital storefront is something those companies have clamored for.

“Our training partners worldwide have been encouraging us to take this step for a number of years,” Thibodeaux said. “We’re fully committed to building a world-class, single-source solution for best-of-breed CompTIA Official Content for the technology workforce of today and tomorrow.”

In addition to creating an online hub for the sale of study and training materials, CompTIA Store also offers one-stop shopping for those who are actually ready to take an exam. Vouchers for all 12 credentials currently offered by CompTIA are available in the store, and the store seems certain to be a cornerstone for the launch of the soon-to-be-released CompTIa PenTest+ cybersecurity credential.