Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for improving distributed monitoring using different groups of remote devices. In some implementations, a system communicates with a set of remote devices involved in a first monitoring program that involves collection of data from the remote devices over a communication network. The system identifies a pattern or similarity among monitoring data collected from a subset of the remote devices involved in the first monitoring program. The system determines that the identified pattern or similarity satisfies one or more criteria for initiating additional monitoring. In response, the system determines parameters specifying second types of data to collect in a second monitoring program. The system configures one or more devices to perform monitoring for the second monitoring program including acquiring data for the second types of data and providing the acquired data to a server over the communication network.