Top 10 Reasons to Outsource Your Technology

Schools today are constantly evolving to meet the needs of a tech-savvy generation. Just as outsourcing food services, transportation, and custodial services ensures smooth operation, outsourcing K-12 technology can be a strategic move. It frees up valuable resources and empowers educators to focus on their core strength: teaching.

Managing a school’s technology infrastructure can be a complex and ever-changing task. From keeping devices up-to-date to ensuring cybersecurity, the burden placed on in-house IT staff can be significant. By partnering with a trusted technology outsourcing provider, you gain access to a team of experts who can handle these challenges efficiently, allowing your school to:

• Benefit from industry-leading expertise
• Reduce costs and improve resource allocation
• Experience a streamlined and stress-free technology

Ready to unlock the potential of outsourced K-12 technology?

Dive into our top 10 reasons why it might be the right decision for your school!

1. Expertise: Partnering with K-12 Technology Professionals

In today’s rapidly evolving IT landscape, schools face unique challenges in keeping their systems up-to-date, secure, and functioning optimally for learning. Hiring a qualified in-house IT director can be a daunting task. While resumes may look impressive, assessing their true understanding of the specific needs of a K-12 environment can be difficult.

By outsourcing your K-12 technology management to a company like K12itc, you gain access to a team of seasoned professionals with unparalleled expertise in the school technology space.

Our team members have extensive experience in:

• Network Management and Security: We ensure your school network runs smoothly and remains protected from cyberthreats.
• Educational Technology Integration: We understand how to integrate the latest tools and resources seamlessly into your existing systems.
• Device Management and Support: From classroom tablets to administrative computers, we keep your technology infrastructure functioning and secure.
• End-User Support: Our team provides prompt and effective technical support to teachers, administrators, and staff.

This depth of knowledge goes beyond technical expertise. Our team also understands the unique workflows and challenges faced by schools. We speak the language of education and can collaborate effectively with educators and administrators to ensure technology empowers, not hinders, the learning process.

Think of it this way: when a complex medical issue arises, you wouldn’t hesitate to seek out a specialist. K12itc is your K-12 technology specialist, ready to provide the expertise and experience your school needs for a successful technology journey.

2. Maintain Tech Talent

The K-12 technology landscape is fiercely competitive for skilled IT professionals. This translates to a significant challenge for schools: retaining qualified tech talent. Highly skilled engineers are often lured away by lucrative offers from the private sector, leaving schools scrambling to fill critical staffing gaps. This constant turnover disrupts workflow, slows down problem-solving, and can leave your school’s technology infrastructure vulnerable.

By outsourcing your technology management, you gain access to a stable and reliable team of experts. Managed service providers like K12itc invest heavily in attracting and retaining top IT talent. You benefit from a team with a deep understanding of K-12 technology, without the burden of recruitment, retention, and ongoing training costs.

3. Save Money

School budgets are stretched thin, and technology needs can often feel like a bottomless pit. Outsourcing K-12 technology management can be a strategic cost-saving measure. When outsourcing with a solution like Albert, schools see up to 15% cost savings in their technology budget. When you hire internally, you have to maintain increasing salaries and benefits over time, while outsourcing eliminates these costs.

Here’s how outsourcing helps you optimize your technology budget:

• Reduced Staffing Costs: Eliminate the need for recruitment, onboarding, and ongoing salary and benefit expenses associated with a full-time technology department.
• Economies of Scale: Managed service providers like K12itc benefit from economies of scale, allowing you to access a team of experts for a potentially lower cost than hiring a single IT director.
• Predictable Billing: Outsourcing often comes with fixed monthly fees, giving you greater predictability and control over your technology budget.
• Streamlined Operations: Our expertise helps you avoid costly mistakes and inefficiencies in hardware and software purchases, maximizing the value you get from your technology investment.

Beyond cost savings, outsourcing also frees up valuable internal resources. When your IT needs are handled by a dedicated team, your school staff can focus on their core competencies: educating and nurturing young minds.

4. Efficiency & Bundling Options

Speaking of saving money, outsourcing technology can also create tech efficiencies. Efficiency is key in today’s fast-paced educational environment. Outsourcing your K-12 technology management can streamline your operations and free up valuable time and resources for your staff.

Here’s how:

• Focus on Core Competencies: By handing over technology management to experts, your school staff can focus on what they do best: teaching and interacting with students.
• Proactive Management: Managed service providers like K12itc take a proactive approach to your technology needs. We monitor your systems for potential issues, preventing downtime, and ensuring your technology runs smoothly.
• Standardized Processes: We have established best practices and streamlined workflows for deploying, managing, and maintaining your technology infrastructure. This translates to greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

In addition to efficiency gains, K12itc offers flexible bundling options that can further enhance your school’s technology budget. This allows you to:

• Pay for Technology Over Time: Spread the cost of upgrades over a predictable monthly payments, making budgeting easier and avoiding large upfront capital expenditures.
• Simplify Procurement: Consolidate your hardware and service needs with a single vendor, streamlining the procurement process and saving you time.
• Access Discounted Rates: Bundled solutions from K12itc can often be more cost-effective than purchasing hardware and services separately.

5. Extended Support & Efficiency

A managed technology solution like Albert functions with extended remote support. A remote, cloud-based support solution allows technology problems in the school district to be solved quickly and efficiently. By outsourcing your K-12 technology management to a trusted provider like K12itc, you gain access to the power of extended remote support.

This translates to several key benefits:

• 24/7 Availability: Our team of engineers is available around the clock to address your technology needs, whenever they arise. No more waiting until morning for critical issues to be resolved.
• Rapid Response Times: With a team of experts at your disposal, you can expect prompt and efficient troubleshooting, minimizing downtime and disruption in your school environment.
• Diverse Expertise: Beyond the convenience of extended hours, you benefit from a wider range of expertise. Our team is comprised of specialists in various technological areas, ensuring we can effectively address any issue that may come up.
• Eliminate Overtime Costs: Managing after-hours emergencies with an in-house IT director often requires paying overtime. With K12itc’s extended support, these costs are eliminated.

Think of it like this: Imagine your house having a plumbing leak at 2 am. A local plumber might be difficult to reach at that hour. With a 24/7 emergency home warranty service, help is just a phone call away. Outsourcing K12 technology with extended support is like having your own 24/7 IT warranty service, ensuring prompt and professional assistance whenever you need it.

6. Secured Network

Cybersecurity threats are a growing concern for school districts. How can you be 100% certain that your district’s network is safe? The only way to be sure is by having a team of experts handle it. When you work with a tech company that specializes in the K-12 landscape like K12itc, you ensure that your school’s network is secure from external threats.

While schools strive to maintain network security on their own, outsourcing to K12itc provides several key advantages:

• Dedicated Security Expertise: Our team includes security specialists who stay current on the latest cyberthreats and vulnerabilities specific to the K-12 environment. They proactively monitor your network, identify potential risks, and implement effective security measures.
• Multi-Layered Defense: We employ a layered approach to network security, combining firewalls, intrusion detection systems, data encryption, and user access controls to create a comprehensive shield against cyberattacks.
• Regular Security Assessments: K12itc conducts regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify and address any weaknesses in network security.
• Compliance Assistance: We can help your school navigate the complex landscape of data privacy regulations, ensuring compliance with industry standards and state and federal laws.

7. Service Level Agreements

Our Albert solution operates on a Service Level Agreement (SLA), which guarantees the highest level of support. An SLA is a formal agreement that outlines the specific services we will provide, the performance standards we will meet, and the remedies available if we fall short. This ensures transparency and accountability, giving you peace of mind and the confidence that your technology needs are being addressed effectively. When an SLA is in place, school districts receive a high level of technology service, which cannot always be guaranteed by a small technology team.

Wouldn’t it be reassuring to know exactly what level of service to expect from your technology provider?

With K12itc, you get just that through our comprehensive Service Level Agreements (SLAs).                                           

Here’s how SLAs benefit your school district:

• Clearly Defined Expectations: Both K12itc and your school district understand the specific metrics for response times, uptime guarantees, and resolution timeframes.
• Proactive Communication: In the unlikely event that we fall below agreed-upon performance standards, clear communication protocols are established to address the issue promptly.
• Financial Safeguards: SLAs often include provisions for service credits or financial reimbursements if we fail to meet our commitments. This ensures you receive the value you expect from our services.

8. Less Hassle, Less Headache

It is our job to fix technology issues before they become a bigger problem. Having a team behind your technology that can proactively troubleshoot possible problems allows administrators and teachers to focus on teaching, not on fixing tech issues.

By outsourcing your K-12 technology management to K12itc, you gain a team dedicated to minimizing downtime and disruption.

Here’s how:

• Proactive Problem Solving: Our team goes beyond simply reacting to problems. We use data analytics and monitoring tools to identify potential issues before they escalate into major disruptions.
• Preventative Maintenance: Regular system maintenance and software updates help to avoid problems and ensure your technology infrastructure runs smoothly.
• Rapid Resolution: In the event that an issue does arise, our team is equipped to diagnose and resolve it quickly, minimizing downtime and getting your school back on track.
• Empowering Educators: By taking care of technology concerns, we empower teachers and administrators to focus on what they do best: teaching.

Think of it like this: Imagine planning a camping trip. Wouldn’t you feel more relaxed knowing you have an experienced guide who can anticipate and address potential challenges like bad weather or equipment malfunctions? Outsourcing K12itc is like having your own experienced IT guide, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free educational journey.

9. Strength in Numbers: Leveraging a Team of K-12 Technology Experts

Most small school districts hire one technology director to run the show. Other medium-sized districts may be able to hire a small team. Large districts may have teams of 25-50 managing their technology. But when you outsource your technology, you automatically have an entire company of experts managing your hardware. This gives your school district—no matter how big or small—the highest level of technology support with various engineers troubleshooting problems and providing input on best practices, trends and proactive projects.

Here’s how this translates into benefits for your school:

• Broader Expertise: Our team is comprised of engineers with a wide range of specializations within the K-12 technology landscape. This ensures we have the right person to address any technical challenge your school may face, from network security to classroom device management.
• Cross-Pollination of Ideas: With a team environment, our engineers can share knowledge, brainstorm solutions, and stay current on the latest trends and best practices in K-12 technology. This collective wisdom benefits every school we serve.
• Scalability and Redundancy: Our team structure allows us to scale our support to meet the specific needs of your school district. Additionally, if a particular engineer is unavailable, there are always other qualified team members ready to assist you.
• Continuous Learning: A culture of continuous learning is embedded within our team. This ensures our engineers are constantly expanding their knowledge base and staying ahead of the ever-evolving technological curve. Your school district benefits from this ongoing pursuit of knowledge.

10. It’s Widely Accepted & Adopted

Many school districts throughout the nation—both large and small—are outsourcing their technology. Managed technology solutions can be built for large or small budgets and are completely customized. Just like many schools outsource their food, custodial or transportation services, they also outsource their technology.                          

Here’s why outsourcing is becoming widely accepted and adopted:

• Proven Success: Numerous school districts have experienced significant improvements in their technology infrastructure, user support, and overall efficiency after outsourcing. Their success stories are paving the way for others to embrace this approach.
• Scalability and Customization: Managed service providers like K12itc can tailor solutions to fit the specific needs and budget of any school district. Whether you’re a small district with limited resources or a large one with complex technology requirements, we can create a plan that works for you.
• Focus on Core Competencies: By outsourcing technology management, schools can free up valuable internal resources and allow educators to focus on their core mission: teaching and inspiring students.
• Cost-Effectiveness: While the initial concept of outsourcing might seem like an added expense, many schools discover long-term cost savings through efficiencies, reduced staff turnover, and access to expertise that might not be affordable in-house.
• Evolving Needs, Evolving Solutions: The world of technology is constantly changing. Outsourcing to a dedicated provider ensures your school has access to the latest tools, resources, and expertise to stay ahead of the curve.

Empowering Your School’s Future with Outsourced Technology

The educational landscape is undergoing a digital transformation, and schools need reliable technology partners to navigate this evolving environment.

Outsourcing K-12 technology management isn’t just a trend; it’s a strategic decision that can empower your school to:

• Free Up Valuable Resources: Allow educators and administrators to focus on their core mission of teaching and inspiring students.
• Gain Access to Expertise: Benefit from a team of K-12 technology specialists who can address your unique challenges and opportunities.
• Enhance Security and Efficiency: Ensure a robust and secure technology infrastructure that operates smoothly and efficiently.
• Embrace Innovation: Stay ahead of the curve with access to the latest advancements in educational technology.

Is your school district ready to unlock the full potential of outsourced technology?

K12itc’s Albert solution is a comprehensive managed service designed to meet the specific needs of K-12 schools.

Albert offers:

• Expert IT support
• Enterprise Infrastructure Equipment
• 24/7 Network Monitoring
• Cost-effective solutions
• Streamlined operations
• Enhanced security

Take the first step towards a brighter future for your school. If you’re ready to outsource your K-12 technology, K12itc’s Albert solution can help. To find out more about Albert, visit our managed services page or contact K12itc today.

We look forward to partnering with you in empowering the learning experience for generations of students to come.