Bridging The Gap: How Observability Tools Transform ICT in Education

This blog is contributed by guest author, Glenn Veen.

For decades, the education sector has grappled with the complexities of managing and maintaining robust ICT environments. As someone who has witnessed the evolution of technology in schools firsthand, I can attest that the challenges have always been less about the technology itself and more about visibility. If you can’t see what’s happening, you can’t manage it, and you can’t ensure that every student and teacher has fair access to essential digital resources.

From Guesswork to Precision

Historically, diagnosing ICT issues in schools was a matter of perception and, more often than not, guesswork. Users would report performance delays that felt catastrophic, but the real problems often lay elsewhere. Infrastructure failures, viruses, network breaches and power outages were only discovered after the damage was done. Bandwidth bottlenecks, wireless blackspots and storage issues surfaced only when they disrupted learning, and the resulting service tickets would pile up, creating frustration for both users and IT teams.

The introduction of observability tools has changed this landscape entirely. These tools provide a granular view of the entire ICT ecosystem, enabling proactive management and precise troubleshooting. The days of waiting for something to break before fixing it are over.

Real-World Impact in Schools

The power of observability is best illustrated through practical examples drawn from real events. 

In one instance, a spike in bandwidth usage at a school was traced to a single student, reported as being absent, who was actually on site downloading vast amounts of gaming data. Not only was the culprit identified, but their exact location was pinpointed, demonstrating the level of detail these tools provide.

In another case, server capacity issues were resolved when reporting tools revealed that students were storing large video files without the knowledge of technical staff. By identifying the source of the problem, IT teams could take targeted action rather than applying broad, disruptive fixes.

When new applications were deployed, observability tools enabled thorough bandwidth and load testing, ensuring seamless integration and performance from day one. During disaster scenarios, such as a cyclone affecting multiple schools, network management tools provided real-time updates on service outages and restorations, allowing for swift, informed responses.

Schools raised concerns about the lack of progress on service tickets, prompting the inclusion of these tickets within the network monitoring dashboard. Service levels were also incorporated, ensuring greater transparency. Whenever tickets were updated, corresponding dashboard reports reflected these changes. Additionally, if service levels were breached, alerts were automatically issued to keep stakeholders informed.

Wireless coverage, often a source of frustration in large campuses, became manageable with remote coverage maps that identified blackspots and guided the deployment of new access points. Even routine tasks like asset management were revolutionised; what once took an entire term – manually counting devices – could now be accomplished in a day, thanks to automated reporting and Active Directory integration.

Proactive IT Operations: The New Standard

A modern IT operations team needs to see what’s happening across devices, applications and networks at all times. Observability tools deliver this with intuitive dashboards, traffic light alerts and automated notifications. Critical issues are flagged immediately, ensuring that IT teams, local support personnel and school administrators are aware of problems before users even notice them. This shift from reactive to proactive management boosts user confidence and minimises disruption to teaching and learning.

Service ticket management has also been transformed. Integrated dashboards track ticket progress and service levels in real time, issuing alerts if thresholds are breached. This transparency not only improves response times but also builds trust between schools and their ICT providers.

The Power of Consolidation

One of the greatest advancements in recent years has been the move towards tool consolidation. Rather than juggling a multitude of vendor-specific applications, schools can now rely on a single, comprehensive management platform–often referred to as a “single pane of glass”. This approach streamlines operations, reduces complexity and offers deep insights by leveraging protocols like SNMP, which provide detailed information about every device on the network, regardless of manufacturer.

Looking Ahead

The journey from fragmented, reactive ICT management to a unified, proactive approach has been transformative for education. Today, observability tools like the Riverbed Platform help fulfill these priorities by delivering observability, performance insights, and scalable secure infrastructure–enabling schools to handle complexity while maintaining reliable and accessible services for all users. These tools have not only improved the efficiency of IT operations but have also enhanced the learning experience by ensuring that technology just works.

As we continue to embrace these innovations, the goal remains clear: to provide equitable, reliable access to digital resources for every student and educator, no matter where they are. In the ever-evolving landscape of educational technology, visibility is power–and with the right tools, we can finally deliver on the promise of digital equity.

Glenn is an experienced ICT leader who spent 22 years in senior roles at the Department of Education (WA), overseeing the design, monitoring and management of statewide technology and telecommunications infrastructure. He led key initiatives including the rollout of a fibre optic network connecting 98% of public schools across 2.5 million square kilometres of Western Australia, the implementation of a standard operating environment (SOE) focused on school network and servers, centralised cloud services and IP telephony, and the development of school-based management tools such as ICT dashboards and self-service systems. His work has ensured robust cyber security and provided schools with powerful tools to manage and monitor device and internet performance on their local networks.