As the Northern Hemisphere moves from a disruptive summer into a hopefully calmer fall, students have headed back to school. For schools, colleges, and universities, the eternal question remains: should they standardize on PCs and Microsoft, PCs and Google, Chromebooks and Google, or another combination such as Linux with an open-source office suite?
Budget pressures are driving platform decisions
Much of this comes down to cost. Educational institutions are facing increasingly tight budgets and need to control expenses wherever possible. Many institutions have traditionally ruled out open-source office suites because they often require more self-management, onsite IT support, and hardware maintenance. However, some governments, particularly across Europe, are exploring Linux and open-source alternatives as part of broader digital sovereignty initiatives.
Another factor is the cost burden on parents and students. A traditional PC typically costs more than a Chromebook, although the licensing costs for Microsoft and Google productivity suites are comparable. Both vendors offer education-specific pricing and discounts, enabling institutions to provide tools at little or no cost.
Microsoft 365 Education A1 includes Exchange, Teams, SharePoint, and web versions of Office applications at no cost. A2 and A3 plans add desktop applications, Intune, and advanced security and management capabilities, with pricing typically ranging from $2.50 to $8.50 per user per month. Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals includes Gmail, Meet, Drive, Classroom, and productivity tools at no cost, while Education Plus adds enhanced administration, reporting, and auditing features for approximately $3 per user per month. Both companies also offer AI capabilities as part of their education portfolios.
Preparing students for the modern workplace
Another important consideration, particularly for students nearing graduation, is workplace readiness. Microsoft remains the dominant office productivity platform in most workplaces. Although there is basic interoperability between Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, users can still encounter challenges when moving between applications. For example, creating advanced spreadsheets in Excel can be significantly different from building similar functionality in Google Sheets.
This has long been one of the challenges organizations face when considering a move away from Microsoft. Familiarity with workplace-standard tools remains an important consideration for educational institutions seeking to prepare students for future careers.
Why Chromebooks continue to gain ground
At the same time, Chromebook adoption continues to grow within education. While Chromebooks account for a relatively small percentage of the overall computing market, education remains a strong segment. More than 22 million Chromebooks were shipped in 2025, with education representing the majority of those deployments. Many school districts continue to evaluate Chromebook purchases due to their lower costs and simplified management.
Chromebooks are relatively simple devices without the complexity often associated with traditional PCs. Their role as a gateway to an online-first environment aligns well with many MSP service offerings. Virtual desktop environments can be deployed and managed centrally, while users access them securely through Chromebooks.
Although similar approaches can be used with Windows devices, endpoint devices typically require more extensive management and security controls. Students may also prefer devices that allow additional flexibility for gaming, software downloads, and personal activities. In many cases, educational institutions can benefit from providing a managed environment for schoolwork while allowing students to use personal devices for non-academic purposes.
Where MSPs can differentiate and grow revenue
For MSPs, one of the primary advantages of both Microsoft and Google education ecosystems is that the core infrastructure is already hosted and maintained by the vendor, and licensing is relatively straightforward. MSPs can position themselves as trusted service providers, delivering additional value through specialized services and expertise.
For example, an institution may require a customized scheduling or calendaring system to manage classrooms, student activities, or individualized learning programs. An MSP can design, implement, and manage these solutions. Institutions may also seek additional governance around AI usage, including monitoring and managing the use of generative AI in assignments, research, and assessments.
Another area where MSPs can add value is security. While both Microsoft and Google provide strong built-in security capabilities, some institutions remain concerned about data privacy, compliance requirements, and data sovereignty. MSPs can help address these concerns through enhanced data protection, backup, retention, and storage strategies.
For example, higher education institutions involved in research projects may need additional controls around where sensitive data is stored and how it is accessed. Offering encrypted, region-specific storage options that complement Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive can be a compelling value proposition for institutions with strict compliance or sovereignty requirements.
Why education is a long-term growth opportunity for MSPs
Ultimately, the education IT market continues to offer significant revenue opportunities for MSPs. Few educational institutions are large enough or sufficiently funded to maintain comprehensive in-house IT operations, and many are looking for partners that can help deliver predictable costs and reliable outcomes.
Because MSPs can often access the same licensing programs as educational institutions, there is already an opportunity to generate recurring revenue through user provisioning, account management, and device lifecycle services. However, the larger opportunity lies in layering specialized services on top of the core platforms.
By providing institution-specific functionality, enhanced cybersecurity protections, compliance expertise, and ongoing strategic support, MSPs can create stronger margins while helping schools, colleges, and universities modernize their technology environments.
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