In 2020, the novel coronavirus COVID-19 completely disrupted all aspects of life, including education.

But even before coronavirus, schools had it tough. Now K-12 schools and higher educational institutions are under a tremendous amount of pressure – from budget constraints to constantly changing external challenges.

With schools scrambling to upgrade technologies to support remote learning and hybrid learning (in-person and remote), IT departments are often stretched thin. In smaller schools and districts, one or two system administrators may be working too hard to keep old equipment running while trying to plan for future upgrades as well as contingencies.

This is where managed services can really help schools. With managed IT services and managed print services, schools and educational institutions can save money while boosting their technological capabilities.

Whether schools want to enable remote learning or improve on-site technologies, managed services can help.

Data Security and Managed IT Services for Schools

Cybersecurity is becoming more and more challenging as hackers become more creative and determined. Old technological systems are more vulnerable to hacking. Even printers can be easily hacked if they are not protected from network attacks.

Schools, however, are required to protect the information of students under FERPA and HIPAA regulatory guidelines. This means that schools need to have even more robust security than the average organization or business.

IT security must encompass a holistic view of the school’s technology environment. This includes doing a complete cybersecurity audit to review hardware, software, and network-connected equipment. Data needs to be reviewed for privacy compliance. Are proper backup systems in place? What about disaster recovery systems? Managed IT and print services can help make all this happen, much more easily than burdening already stressed internal IT staff.

How Can Managed Print Services Help the Education Budget

Despite the digital age, printed documents are still an important part of education. Having working printers – ones that aren’t taking up people’s time by breaking down constantly – is important. IT system administrators and tech staff at educational institutions may already have their hands full. Having them try to wrangle an aging, out of date printer fleet just wastes time and resources.

Managed print services take all this hassle away. Here’s how:

Managed Print Services for Education Reduce Costs for Printing Equipment

Managed print services for education can actually make it cheaper to use new equipment instead of the old equipment your school may already own. How is this possible? Consider the costs of upkeeping the old equipment, from buying new toner to repairing and replacing broken parts.

When it is time to buy new printers or MFPs (multi-function printers), they can be very expensive when purchased upfront – in the 5 figures on the high-end.

With managed print services, school IT departments don’t need to spend time trying to fix and maintain old printers. The new and best printer equipment can be provided with managed print services for an affordable monthly fee. Equipment is leased, not purchased, so there are no 5-figure upfront costs, and MFPs can be easily upgraded when they become out of date. Additionally, by monitoring printer usage and using cost-saving technologies, the cost of consumables like toner and paper can be kept in check.

Managed Print Services for Education Can Alleviate the Need for In-House IT Staff

Hiring full-time IT staff can be very costly, from salary costs to benefits. Managed IT and print services can provide comprehensive service for a fraction of the costs of hiring more resources. With 24/7 support available, as well as professional training on equipment and software for end users, managed services can become full IT partners that offer scalable technologies and support.

Managed Print Services for Education Can Help with Planning Budgets

By reducing the need for more IT staff, standardizing printer systems, and streamlining IT processes, managed services can make financial planning much easier. Through managed services, it will also be easier to track consumable usage and gather data to make informed budget decisions.

Managed Services Can Make a Huge Difference for Education

With strained budgets and burdened IT staff, schools have many challenges to overcome with technology. Fortunately, managed services, both managed IT and managed print services – can alleviate these problems.

At DSI, we offer customized managed technology solutions that are designed to help educators smooth operations and boost productivity while saving on costs.

For schools that want to increase efficiency while reducing costs, DSI offers the best in managed services – offering scalable network and printing solutions to meet your educational needs. Contact us today to find out more!