Remote Management Requirements

This question asks whether your on-premises solution must be managed remotely by your team or if the customer's IT staff can handle everything locally. Universities want to know: 'Do we need to give you ongoing access to our network, or can we run this ourselves once it's installed?'

Requiring remote management can be a double-edged sword. While it ensures proper maintenance and reduces support burden, many universities prefer or require complete local control for security reasons. Solutions requiring vendor remote access face longer security reviews and may be rejected by institutions with strict network policies. However, optional remote management can be positioned as a premium service. The key is flexibility - solutions that work both ways capture the broadest market.

The worst mistake is being unclear about what 'remote management' entails. Does it mean occasional updates or daily operations? Many vendors underestimate how much some universities resist external access to their networks. Another pitfall is requiring remote access for basic functions that should work autonomously - this signals poor system design and creates unnecessary dependencies that concern security teams.