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Education IT teams are managing more devices than ever with fewer resources. Many schools already use RMM tools, but enterprise-grade platforms are often too costly and complex. This blog explains how RMM simplifies IT for K–12 and higher education, why institutions consider switching providers, and how modern solutions like Level deliver transparency, automation, and ease of use.
Level
Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Technology in schools and universities has moved far beyond computer labs. K–12 institutions now manage one-to-one device programs, smart classrooms, and digital testing environments. Universities run sprawling networks of research systems, student laptops, and cloud-based services.
Despite this growth, IT teams in education remain lean. The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) reported in 2024 that nearly 70 percent of K–12 IT leaders feel their teams are understaffed. Higher education institutions are in the same position, with budgets tightening even as the demand for digital services accelerates.
Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) software is a lifeline in this environment. By centralizing endpoint visibility, automating updates, and enabling remote support, RMM helps education IT departments do more with less. Yet many schools already use enterprise-grade RMM tools and still find themselves frustrated. The reason is simple: not all RMMs are built with education in mind.
This blog explores how RMM simplifies IT in schools and universities, the common challenges with enterprise solutions, why an institution might consider switching providers, how a modern platform like Level addresses those gaps, and what institutions should look for when choosing the right RMM.
Schools often manage thousands of devices. In K–12, this includes student laptops, teacher desktops, classroom projectors, and sometimes IoT devices like smart boards or HVAC systems tied into the network. In higher education, the scope expands further with research servers, faculty laptops, library kiosks, and clinical devices in teaching hospitals.
Without an RMM, administrators juggle multiple systems or rely on on-site troubleshooting. With an RMM, IT staff can view every endpoint, check status, push updates, and resolve issues from a single dashboard. The University of Wisconsin System, for example, manages more than 150,000 endpoints and has identified endpoint visibility as essential for maintaining compliance and supporting its academic mission.
The most common cause of security breaches is unpatched software. A 2023 Ponemon Institute study found that 60 percent of successful attacks exploited known vulnerabilities that should have been patched. In education, patching is particularly difficult because devices are distributed across classrooms, dorms, and remote learning environments.
An RMM allows patches to be scheduled and applied automatically, ensuring that endpoints are updated regardless of where students or staff are located. For institutions facing compliance requirements like FERPA or HIPAA, this automation is not just convenient, it is critical.
K–12 school districts often span dozens of campuses, while universities may have multiple satellite sites and online programs. RMM tools allow IT staff to provide secure remote access and troubleshooting without traveling to each location.
This means:
Education IT teams frequently face challenges with unauthorized software, misconfigured devices, or inconsistent Wi-Fi settings. RMMs allow administrators to create policies that automatically enforce standard configurations.
Instead of relying on every technician to follow a checklist, IT can set a baseline once and apply it across thousands of devices. This reduces human error and ensures a consistent level of security and performance.
Many schools already use an RMM, often one designed for enterprises or managed service providers. While these tools are powerful, they create unique problems in education environments.
Even if a school or university already has an RMM in place, there are strong reasons to reevaluate and consider switching providers.
Education budgets are under constant scrutiny. If the current RMM requires expensive add-ons, hidden fees, or long-term contracts, the cost may no longer be justifiable. A shift to a transparent, predictable pricing model allows institutions to better allocate limited resources.
When IT staff spend more time managing the RMM tool than solving problems, the platform becomes a liability rather than an asset. Institutions switch when a simpler RMM promises faster onboarding, easier daily use, and less time wasted navigating complicated menus.
If the existing RMM struggles to keep endpoints patched or secure, the impact is felt directly in classrooms and labs. Slow logins, failed updates, and recurring issues erode trust in the IT department. A more reliable RMM improves the learning environment by keeping systems running smoothly.
The rise of hybrid and remote learning has made flexibility critical. Institutions that rely on on-premises-heavy RMMs may find themselves unable to support devices off campus. Cloud-native solutions provide continuous visibility and control no matter where devices are located.
If the current RMM cannot provide clear audit trails or struggles to enforce security baselines, the institution risks falling short of FERPA, HIPAA, or GDPR standards. Switching to a solution that integrates compliance into everyday operations reduces that risk.
Support responsiveness matters. Institutions often consider switching if their current vendor is slow to respond, dismissive of feature requests, or focused primarily on large enterprise accounts. A partner that listens and evolves alongside education IT needs is far more valuable than a vendor that treats schools as an afterthought.
Level represents a new generation of RMM platforms, designed for lean IT teams that need reliable automation without unnecessary complexity. For education institutions, the advantages are clear.
Level charges $2 per endpoint, with no hidden add-ons. For a district managing 5,000 devices, the difference compared to enterprise tools can be tens of thousands of dollars a year. This kind of transparency makes budget planning straightforward, which is crucial when every technology purchase competes with instructional priorities.
Level’s interface is clean and designed for speed. Training new staff takes hours, not weeks. This matters in K–12 environments where IT staff wear multiple hats, and in higher education where turnover or student assistants often support IT operations.
Rather than piling on modules, Level focuses on the workflows that matter: patch management, monitoring, remote access, and alerting. This avoids the tool bloat of enterprise systems and ensures automation works consistently without requiring constant babysitting.
With hybrid learning and bring-your-own-device policies, IT teams need management tools that work beyond the walls of the institution. Level’s cloud-native architecture ensures policies and updates reach devices whether they are in a dorm, at home, or abroad.
Whether complying with FERPA, HIPAA, or GDPR, schools need audit trails and secure configurations. Level integrates compliance into everyday management, instead of requiring teams to manage a separate compliance console. This reduces the workload while maintaining accountability.
Districts like Los Angeles Unified School District manage over 500,000 student devices. Supporting this scale requires automated patching, real-time alerts, and the ability to troubleshoot remotely without pulling students out of class. A streamlined RMM ensures devices stay compliant and instruction continues without interruptions.
Universities manage diverse systems that range from faculty laptops to high-performance lab machines. A chemistry lab PC infected with malware or left unpatched could delay experiments or compromise research data. A modern RMM keeps these systems up to date, monitors for issues, and enables IT to intervene before problems disrupt academic work.
Many professors travel for conferences, field research, or remote teaching. They need the same IT support as if they were on campus. With a cloud-native RMM, technicians can troubleshoot issues securely from anywhere, ensuring continuity of teaching and research.
With so many options, how can schools and universities choose the right RMM?
Education IT teams cannot afford to spend months onboarding or retraining staff. Choose an RMM with a clean, intuitive interface that new technicians can learn quickly.
Avoid tools that hide core features behind add-ons. In education, where funding cycles are unpredictable, predictable pricing per endpoint ensures sustainability.
Not all automation is useful. Focus on RMMs that streamline patching, monitoring, and remote access. If a feature does not reduce workload or enhance compliance, it risks becoming clutter.
Education IT must support devices across campus, homes, and global locations. An RMM that relies heavily on on-premises infrastructure will create blind spots. Cloud-native design ensures visibility wherever the devices are.
Large enterprise vendors may treat schools as small accounts, leading to slow support. Look for vendors with a track record of listening to smaller teams and rapidly addressing feature requests.
FERPA, HIPAA, and GDPR are not optional. Ensure the RMM has built-in logging, audit trails, and security baselines to reduce the burden of meeting compliance requirements.
Technology has become inseparable from the learning experience. For students, it shapes how they access knowledge. For faculty, it enables teaching, research, and collaboration. For IT staff, it creates an ever-growing list of endpoints to secure and manage.
RMM software simplifies this complexity, but not all RMMs fit the unique needs of education. Enterprise-grade platforms are often too expensive, too complex, and too rigid. A modern RMM like Level offers transparent pricing, intuitive usability, and automation that actually saves time.
For K–12 and higher education institutions, choosing the right RMM is not about chasing features. It is about enabling lean IT teams to support the core mission of education: empowering learning without technology getting in the way.
At Level, we understand the modern challenges faced by IT professionals. That's why we've crafted a robust, browser-based Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) platform that's as flexible as it is secure. Whether your team operates on Windows, Mac, or Linux, Level equips you with the tools to manage, monitor, and control your company's devices seamlessly from anywhere.
Ready to revolutionize how your IT team works? Experience the power of managing a thousand devices as effortlessly as one. Start with Level today—sign up for a free trial or book a demo to see Level in action.
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