Insights
The Trail Report
& field notes.
Reports, newsletters, case studies, and project spotlights, published from the field.
A Partnership Built on Trust: Sheridan County School District #1
How a relationship that started in 1998, when Pine Cove was a two-person shop, became a district-wide technology partnership covering managed services, cloud communication, student safety, and network infrastructure.
Peace of Mind in Every Hallway: Townsend School District
How Pine Cove and Verkada replaced Townsend's failing DVR-era cameras with 40+ cloud cameras, centralized visibility, and no hardware left for a small IT team to babysit.
Modern Security, County-Wide: Missoula County
How Pine Cove and Verkada brought cloud video security to a Montana county — from the courthouse to the fairgrounds — with 24/7 visibility and immediate incident response.
Network Confidence and Reliability: Mountainland Head Start
How a lean non-profit serving 900 families across 13 locations replaced a clunky, unreliable network with RUCKUS wireless, new switching, and a Sophos firewall — and learned to run it themselves.
A First-in-Nation Internet Plan: Murray School District
How Murray, Utah became the first district in the country to deliver private LTE over CBRS spectrum straight to students' homes — during a pandemic, with Utah's first 10-gigabit classrooms.
A Wireless Overhaul at 10,500 Feet: Lake County School District
One week into a new IT director's job, the highest-elevation school district in America rebuilt its seven-year-old wireless network — and ended up with zero dead zones.
A Scalable and Personal Solution: East Helena School District
How a growing Montana district secured its network behind a Sophos XG firewall and sized its bandwidth for the students it has not enrolled yet, through a K-8 to K-12 transition.
A Faster, Cleaner Network Refresh: North Conejos School District
How a one-person IT department replaced an entire five-school network — roughly 20 RUCKUS switches and 50+ access points — in a matter of days, funded through E-Rate.
When the Wi-Fi Goes Down, So Does the Greenhouse: Prairie View Community School
How a tiny Wyoming charter school — with an aquaponics system, a student-run laser-engraving business, and no IT department — found a technology partner who understood what they were trying to do.
Superior Technology, Phenomenal Service: Outsourcing IT in Sheridan
When its IT director retired, this northern Wyoming district replaced its in-house IT department with a partner — and started spending less, with a 10-year sustainability plan guiding every purchase.
Built Around the People We Serve
A spotlight on Technical Account Manager Mike Baldacci, plus three cybersecurity threats districts need to understand right now: smarter phishing, collaboration tool hijacking, and social engineering through support platforms.
Walking the Path Forward, Together
Pathfinder 360 is officially launched. We share the story behind the Dillon Public Library security project, the growing role of cybersecurity investment in public institutions, and what we're hearing from the field.
Where Strategy Meets the Real World
From a unique fossil-site security project in Snowmass, Colorado to the growing need for public-private cybersecurity partnerships, and the full rollout of Pathfinder 360.
Trust, Visibility, and Planning Ahead
Attackers are abusing the platforms schools trust most, Microsoft and Google. Plus: a classroom security upgrade at Converse County School District in Wyoming and federal guidance on K–12 cyber readiness.
Rooted in Community
Prairie View Community School's infrastructure transformation, a spotlight on team member Brandan Bassett, and cybersecurity priorities every K–12 district should be thinking about now.
Built on Relationships
Thoughtful security planning helped protect new apartment communities in Montana from day one. Plus insights on smarter cybersecurity and the network as the backbone of instruction.
Spotlight: Bozeman Airport's Ruckus renewal
A decade in and still scaling, what the airport partnership looks like as a living example of Pathfinder longevity.
When Planning Meets Reality in Education IT
Cybersecurity threats in education are becoming more targeted and persistent. This edition covers the evolution of threats, a real-world school systems outage in Victoria, and what IT leaders should be prioritizing in 2026.
Mapping What's Ahead in 2026
The first Trail Report of 2026 covers real-world planning lessons from Sheridan City School District, a cautionary cyberattack story from overseas, and the continuing development of Pathfinder 360.
Montana Cybersecurity Report 2025: The Big Sky Wake-Up Call
Real data, local breaches, and a four-pillar roadmap to resilience for Montana's schools, hospitals, governments, and businesses. Rural does not mean immune.
The team
Employee spotlights.
Mike Baldacci
Technical Account Manager
Before working in technology, Mike was a fifth grade teacher. That experience still shapes how he supports districts today. He understands how much educators rely on technology and how quickly things can change when it is not working. As a Technical Account Manager, Mike partners closely with school leaders, helping them navigate both day-to-day challenges and long-term planning.
Read the storyBrandan Bassett
Behind every strong client relationship at Pine Cove is someone who genuinely cares, and Brandan Bassett is one of those people. As one of our most tenured leaders, Brandan brings more than technical experience; he brings relationship-first thinking. He's the kind of partner who remembers what matters to your district, who shows up consistently, and who sees beyond the immediate ticket to the bigger picture. Clients trust Brandan because he listens first. Strategy comes second.
Read the story