The Human Bottleneck: How Multiple Vendors Cause Confusion In Critical Response Moments

In 2011, The Wall Street Journal published an essay that would become one of the most quoted predictions in modern tech history. Its author, Marc Andreessen, argued that “software is eating the world.”

Fifteen years later, that observation feels less like a prediction and more like a baseline assumption.

Software mediates nearly every essential function of modern life. Energy grids are monitored by it. Hospitals depend on it. Financial markets run on it. Classrooms, transportation systems, and emergency dispatch centers each operate through layers of code invisible to the people who rely on them. Hardware may be tangible, but software is what makes it useful.

And at the center of that digital infrastructure is a constant: the human being.

The Software Reality in K-12

Nowhere is the relationship between humans and software more consequential than in K-12 education.

School districts rely on sprawling digital ecosystems:

• Student Information Systems (SIS)
• Visitor management platforms
• Panic alert solutions
• Behavioral threat assessment tools
• Cybersecurity controls
• Mass notification systems
• Classroom and communication applications

Each category often comes from a different vendor. Over time, districts accumulate tools to solve immediate needs. Sometimes in response to mandates, sometimes in response to incidents.

By 2026, multi-vendor software stacks are common across the K-12 landscape. The question is not whether schools use multiple systems. The question is how those systems behave under stress.

Because stress is where architecture matters.

When Safety Systems Don’t Speak the Same Language

School security systems are no longer limited to cameras and locked doors. Today’s environments include integrated digital components that support real-time response:

When these systems operate independently, risk compounds.

A fragmented safety stack can produce:

1. The Silo Effect

Critical systems operate in parallel without sharing data. Alerts don’t propagate across platforms. Administrators toggle between dashboards while seconds pass.

2. Slower Response

Different logins. Different interfaces. Separate workflows. Physical security tools disconnected from digital alerting systems.

3. IT Operational Burnout

K-12 IT departments are typically lean. Teams manage licenses, updates, patches, training, and compliance across dozens of vendors.

4. Expanded Cyber Risk

Every additional vendor introduces another integration point, another authentication pathway, another potential vulnerability.

5. Financial Inefficiency

Overlapping features. Unused licenses. Emergency purchases that bypass strategic review.

A recent district audit uncovered 76 separate systems involved in safety, identity verification, and campus operations. That translated to 76 passwords. Minimal interoperability. Inconsistent data flows. Redundant capabilities.

That scenario is not unique.

Industry surveys show:

• 20% of technology budgets are spent on tools districts neither requested nor use effectively
• Approximately 50% of licenses go unused
• Spreadsheets are frequently used to track critical systems
• Emergency purchases can exceed $35,000 per incident

In a mission-critical environment, inefficiency becomes risk.

The Market Is Growing And Complexity Is Growing With It

Analysts forecast the U.S. school campus security market will reach $4.5 billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 17.62% between 2025 and 2035.

Demand is accelerating because expectations are higher. Communities expect comprehensive safety protocols. Staff expect clarity. Parents expect reliability.

Leadership demographics are shifting as well. A decade ago, most EdTech leaders came from instructional backgrounds. In 2025, a majority come from technology disciplines. That transition introduces stronger procurement discipline, deeper integration awareness, and higher expectations for interoperability.

The conversation is moving from “What tool solves this problem?” to “How does this tool function within our ecosystem?”

Single vs. Multi-Vendor: Architecture Is the Issue

Multi-vendor environments are not inherently flawed. The issue emerges when there is no architectural strategy governing them.

Consolidation efforts that succeed usually follow a structured process:

1. Comprehensive System Audit
   Inventory every platform tied to:
   • Student information
   • Emergency alerting
   • Access control and visitor management
   • Cybersecurity
   • Communications
   • Classroom integrations
2. Map Data Flows and Dependencies
   Identify gatekeepers during emergency response. Determine which systems must communicate instantly.
3. Define Core Safety Requirements
   Establish functional and nonfunctional requirements: uptime, latency, authentication protocols, SSO compatibility, SIS integration, encryption standards.
4. Select an Anchor Vendor
   Research indicates consolidation is most effective when one primary platform serves as the ecosystem’s backbone, supported by two to four specialized vendors.

Key evaluation criteria include:

• Interoperability
• Data privacy architecture
• Patch cadence and security hygiene
• Reliability and uptime guarantees
• Training and usability
• Reduction of manual intervention

Over a two-to-three-year horizon, this approach often results in retired licenses, reduced redundancy, tighter security posture, and streamlined workflows.

The objective is operational clarity.

Kokomo24/7® School Safety Cloud®

The Kokomo24/7® School Safety Cloud® delivers this unified platform experience, integrating seamlessly with district systems and supporting both current and next-generation technologies. It is designed to be:

• Cloud-based
• Interoperable
• Scalable
• Efficient
• Future-proof

Schools cannot prevent every emergency, but they can improve how they prepare, detect, and respond. Integrated platforms make that shift possible: turning safety from a reactive obligation into a coordinated strategy.

Because at the end of the day, keeping people safe is not optional. It is foundational. And the right technology makes it achievable.

Eliminating the Human Bottleneck

In late 2025, HBO Max released the documentary Thoughts and Prayers: How to Survive an Active Shooter in America. Critics compared its cultural impact to Bowling for Columbine.

The interviews were consistent. Students, educators, administrators, and families want safety solutions that function predictably under pressure. They want systems that do not require improvisation during crisis. They want technology that reduces cognitive load instead of increasing it.

During a critical event, the “human-in-the-loop” should be making decisions and not reconciling dashboards.

Software has already reshaped the world. In K-12 environments, the design of that software ecosystem determines whether it supports or obstructs the people responsible for student safety.

Integration, governance, and architectural discipline are not abstract IT concerns. They are operational imperatives.

Chaos in school safety rarely originates from a lack of tools. It emerges when too many tools operate without coordination.

The districts that lead in safety over the next decade will not necessarily be the ones with the most software. They will be the ones with the clearest architecture. Where systems communicate seamlessly, response pathways are defined in advance, and technology strengthens the human capacity to act decisively.

In an environment where seconds matter, clarity is a strategic advantage.

About Kokomo24/7® 

Since 2018, Kokomo24/7®’s configuration-based platform has helped over 120 national and global organizations respond quickly to safety, wellness, and compliance needs. From visitor management to behavioral threat assessment and emergency alerts, Kokomo24/7® powers holistic school safety for a better everyday experience.