Boston-based communications and IT company GoTo has launched a new service aimed at one of the most fragmented corners of the public sector: education.
GoTo Connect for Education is a cloud-based communications platform designed to replace the patchwork of phones, paging systems, video conferencing tools, and emergency alert software often found across schools and universities.
The move marks an effort to position GoTo more firmly within a sector struggling to modernise its technology infrastructure without disrupting daily operations or overburdening IT staff.
“Managing multiple, outdated communication systems is a challenge for schools and universities, often creating a complex IT environment," said Damon Covey, General Manager of UCC, GoTo.
"With GoTo Connect for Education, we’re giving teachers and administrators a single dashboard to oversee communications from individual schools all the way up to the entire district.”
Complexity in the Classroom
Schools and universities have long wrestled with overlapping systems. A typical district might operate separate networks for internal calls, public announcements, classroom conferencing, and emergency notifications – often sourced from different vendors over decades.
Each upgrade or new requirement adds another layer of complexity.
"Ease of management is vital for our busy IT team,” says Steve Maycock, Head of Infrastructure and Security at Leigh Academies Trust.
“GoTo Connect’s call-handling has the strongest administrative front-end of any system, allowing staff to easily set up and adapt.”
The concept behind the tech is straightforward: bring together calls, messaging, virtual classrooms, faxing, and safety alerts within one application.
The system also includes administrative tools that allow IT teams to manage users, licences, and settings from a central portal.
Balancing Modernisation with Legacy Systems
A key challenge for any digital overhaul in education is coexistence with what is already in place.
Few schools have the funds to discard functional systems simply because they are dated.
GoTo has made a point of ensuring that its new platform integrates with analog infrastructure – including existing paging systems, bells, and wired desk phones.
That hybrid approach could appeal to institutions that need gradual modernisation rather than wholesale replacement.
Beyond efficiency, the platform includes features aimed at improving campus safety – a growing priority for both schools and universities.
