Microsoft Intune - Simply Explained
Microsoft Intune is Microsoft's cloud-based endpoint management solution that helps organizations securely manage devices, applications, and users across Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux. It enables IT teams to deploy applications, enforce security policies, protect company data, and manage endpoints from a single cloud platform, making it a cornerstone of modern workplace management.
In this episode of Microsoft Knowledge Nuggets, Mirko Peters explains Microsoft Intune in simple terms and shows why it has become one of the most important services for managing today's diverse device landscape. You'll learn how Intune supports cloud-first and hybrid environments while replacing many traditional on-premises management solutions with a modern, scalable approach.
The episode covers key concepts including device enrollment, configuration profiles, compliance policies, application deployment, Windows Autopilot, mobile device management (MDM), mobile application management (MAM), endpoint security, software updates, and remote device actions. It also explores how Intune integrates with Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Defender, Conditional Access, Windows 11, Apple Business Manager, Android Enterprise, and Microsoft 365 to deliver a secure and unified endpoint management experience.
You'll also discover common deployment scenarios such as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), corporate-owned devices, frontline workers, remote employees, and hybrid work environments. The episode explains how organizations can balance security, user productivity, and compliance while simplifying endpoint administration across multiple operating systems.
In today's fast-paced digital landscape, managing devices and applications securely is crucial for your organization. Microsoft Intune serves as a powerful cloud-based service that empowers you to do just that. With its ability to oversee various devices from a single web console, Intune simplifies your IT tasks. It enhances security through features like compliance policies that evaluate device configurations and ensure they meet specific conditions. Plus, its integration with Conditional Access helps enforce access controls based on compliance status, keeping your corporate data safe and your organization compliant.
Key Takeaways
- Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based service that simplifies device and application management for organizations.
- It enhances security through compliance policies and Conditional Access, ensuring only authorized devices access corporate data.
- Intune allows for easy enrollment and management of both corporate-owned and personal devices from a single platform.
- Using Intune can lead to significant time savings for IT staff, improving overall productivity and efficiency.
- The Intune Admin Center provides a user-friendly interface for managing devices, applications, and security settings.
- Implementing compliance policies helps organizations meet industry standards and protect sensitive data.
- Remote management features enable IT admins to troubleshoot and configure devices without physical access.
- Following best practices for Intune setup and administration ensures a secure and efficient management environment.
What Is Microsoft Intune?
Overview of Intune
Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based service that plays a vital role in enterprise mobility management. It allows you to manage and secure devices and applications from a single platform. With Intune, you can enforce security policies, configure device settings, and deploy applications across both corporate-owned and personal devices. This flexibility is essential in today’s work environment, where employees often use their own devices for work purposes.
Intune integrates seamlessly with Azure Active Directory, which enhances user authentication and access control. This integration boosts your overall security by ensuring that only authorized users can access sensitive data. Here are some primary use cases for Microsoft Intune in enterprise environments:
- Enroll devices and configure settings.
- Push policies over-the-air to ensure security and compliance.
- Enable selective wiping of corporate data without affecting personal data.
Key Benefits of Intune
Using Microsoft Intune offers numerous benefits that can significantly enhance your organization's IT operations. Here’s a closer look at some of the key advantages:
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Security | Establishes policies around antivirus software, encryption, and device compliance to protect networks. |
| Device Deployment | Streamlines the process of new device deployment and replacement using Autopilot. |
| Cost Efficiency | Integrated with Microsoft 365 licenses, reducing the need for additional IT management costs. |
| Unified Endpoint Management | Provides a single platform for managing various devices across different operating systems. |
| Cloud-Based Management | Eliminates the need for extensive on-premises infrastructure, promoting flexibility. |
| Zero Trust Security Model | Supports a modern security approach emphasizing continuous verification and least privilege access. |
With these benefits, Microsoft Intune not only simplifies device management but also strengthens your security posture. It helps you meet compliance requirements with features like conditional access and data loss prevention. By adopting Intune, you can ensure that your organization remains agile and secure in a rapidly changing digital landscape.
How Microsoft Intune Works
Intune Admin Center Overview
The Intune Admin Center is your command hub for managing devices and applications. It provides a user-friendly interface that simplifies your administrative tasks. Here’s a quick look at its main components and functionalities:
| Component/Functionality | Description |
|---|---|
| Home Page | Displays Default Directory details and provides access to various sections. |
| Status | Shows the status of the Intune environment. |
| News | Contains promotional materials and marketing blog articles from Microsoft. |
| Guided Scenarios | Offers predefined templates for creating policies easily. |
| What is happening in Intune | Provides updates on new features and useful articles. |
| Left Pane | Contains all Intune workflow items, following Azure portal standards. |
| Dashboard Customization | Allows customization and sharing of the dashboard with other admins. |
| All Services | Other Consoles |
| Endpoint Security | Features security settings, policies, and vulnerability remediation options. |
| Reporting | Monitors endpoint compliance, health, and trends. |
With these features, the Intune Admin Center enables you to manage mobile applications and devices effectively. You can set mobile application management policies, security settings, and app management capabilities. This centralized control ensures that your devices remain compliant and secure.
Device Communication with Cloud
Devices communicate with the Microsoft Intune cloud service using various protocols and technologies. This communication is crucial for ensuring that your devices receive the latest policies and updates. Here’s a breakdown of the main protocols involved:
| Protocol/Technology | Description |
|---|---|
| Windows Push Notification Services (WNS) | Used to wake up Windows devices for immediate actions. |
| Apple Push Notification service (APNs) | Used to wake up Apple devices for immediate actions. |
| Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) | Used to wake up Android devices for immediate actions. |
| HTTPS (TLS 1.2 or 1.3) | Secure connection established by devices to communicate with Intune. |
| OMA-DM | Standardized mobile management protocol for basic settings. |
| Intune Management Extension (IME) | Lightweight agent for tasks not supported natively by the OS. |
When you enroll a device, it goes through several steps to establish communication with Intune. First, ensure the user has the appropriate Microsoft 365 license and that auto-enrollment is enabled. Then, the user opens Settings, connects their work account, and signs in. The device registers with Microsoft Entra ID, and the Intune MDM agent installs silently. After that, compliance policies and configuration profiles are applied, ensuring that the device meets your organization’s standards.
By understanding how the Intune Admin Center works and how devices communicate with the cloud, you can effectively manage your organization's devices and applications, enhancing security and compliance.
Features of Microsoft Intune
Device Management
Microsoft Intune offers robust device management capabilities that help you keep your organization's devices secure and compliant. Here’s a closer look at some key features:
Enrollment Options
You can easily enroll devices into Microsoft Intune, allowing you to manage them from a single portal. This process simplifies configuration, security, and policy management. Here’s what you can expect:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Device Enrollment | Registering all devices into a single portal for configuration, security, and management through company policies. |
| Remote Actions | Administrators can perform tasks like wiping data, resetting passwords, and locking devices directly from the management portal. |
| Enforcing Policies | Enforcing password and other company policies to ensure compliance with organizational security requirements. |
| Device Compliance | Monitoring if devices meet defined security and configuration policies, ensuring only secure and compliant devices can access company resources. |
Remote Management
Remote management features in Intune allow you to troubleshoot and configure devices without needing physical access. Here are some highlights:
- Remote Help: You can share screens and assist users directly, even providing a web app for those who can't install native applications.
- Device Actions: Sync devices with Intune to apply the latest policies and configurations.
- Unattended Access: Connect to Android devices without user acceptance each time, making troubleshooting more efficient.
Application Management
Managing applications is just as crucial as managing devices. Microsoft Intune provides several features to streamline this process.
App Deployment
With Intune, you can deploy applications seamlessly across your organization. This feature ensures that your users have access to the tools they need. Here’s what you can expect:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Unified Management | One console to manage policies, compliance, and security across multiple platforms without switching tools. |
| Compliance Policies | Enforce platform-specific compliance policies like BitLocker for Windows and FileVault for macOS. |
| Seamless App Deployment | Deliver various app types with features like conditional deployment and automatic updates. |
| Zero Trust by Design | Integrate with Conditional Access to ensure device compliance before granting access to enterprise apps. |
Mobile Application Management
Mobile application management (MAM) is essential for protecting corporate data on personal devices. Intune allows you to enforce security policies and manage access effectively. Here are some key features:
- Enforces encryption, security policies, and access controls to protect organizational data.
- Integrates with Conditional Access and Microsoft Defender for enhanced security.
- Allows employees to safely use personal devices while keeping company data secure and separated.
By leveraging these features, you can ensure that your organization’s devices and applications remain secure and compliant, all while enhancing productivity.
Benefits of Using Microsoft Intune
Enhanced Security Measures
When it comes to protecting your organization's data, Microsoft Intune offers robust security measures that keep your devices and applications safe. Here are some key features that enhance your security posture:
| Security Measure | Description |
|---|---|
| Compliance Policies | Establish necessary security standards for device access to organizational data. |
| Conditional Access | Permits only devices meeting specified requirements to access corporate resources. |
| App Protection Policies | Manages device configurations and user access rights to maintain security and compliance. |
With these features, you can ensure secure access regardless of where your users are located. Intune utilizes Microsoft Entra ID’s Conditional Access for continuous identity validation, which combines with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for enhanced security. Additionally, it supports full disk encryption through BitLocker for Windows devices and FileVault for macOS, ensuring that sensitive data remains protected.
Tip: By enforcing security policies, you can prevent unauthorized access and data breaches, which is crucial in today’s digital landscape.
Compliance and Policy Enforcement
Compliance is a top priority for many organizations, and Microsoft Intune helps you stay on track. You can enforce various compliance policies that align with industry standards and regulations. Here’s how Intune supports compliance:
| Compliance Check | Description |
|---|---|
| Password or PIN required | Ensures devices have a secure access method. |
| Storage drives must be encrypted | Protects sensitive data on devices. |
| Device must not be jailbroken or rooted | Maintains device integrity and security. |
| Antivirus or endpoint protection required | Ensures devices are protected against threats. |
| Updated operating system required | Keeps devices secure with the latest patches. |
By implementing these compliance policies, you can ensure that only compliant devices access your corporate resources. This not only helps in passing compliance audits but also strengthens your overall security framework. Intune tracks changes and monitors device compliance, providing a long-term audit trail that is essential for compliance reporting.
Improved Productivity
Microsoft Intune doesn’t just enhance security; it also boosts productivity across your organization. Here are some ways it streamlines IT operations and reduces manual workload:
- IT specialists reported a 31% reduction in time spent on maintaining systems after adopting Microsoft 365.
- There was a 36% reduction in the time IT specialists spent managing system updates.
- A 90% reduction in time spent on help desk tickets translates to a time savings of 280 hours per year for IT staff.
With Intune, device setup time decreased from 3 hours to 1 hour, allowing for more efficient management. The ability to remotely wipe lost devices enhances data security while improving overall productivity. An IT manager shared that previously spending a week and a half on manual updates is now streamlined with Intune, allowing updates to be scheduled during non-working hours to minimize disruptions.
By leveraging Microsoft Intune, you can create a more agile and productive work environment, ensuring that your organization can adapt to the ever-changing demands of the digital landscape.
Getting Started with Intune
Initial Setup Steps
Getting started with Microsoft Intune is straightforward if you follow a few essential steps. Here’s a quick guide to help you set up Intune in your organization:
- Set up the Intune tenant. This is your first step to creating a dedicated environment for managing devices.
- Add device configuration profiles. These profiles allow you to configure various aspects of your devices, ensuring they meet your organization's standards.
- Add device compliance policies. These policies determine when users can access corporate data and applications based on their device's compliance status.
- Add apps. Get your users productive right away by deploying essential applications they need for their work.
- Configure device enrollment profiles. This step helps you manage how devices enter the Intune tenant, making the onboarding process smoother.
While setting up, you might face some challenges. Here’s a table of common issues and their solutions:
| Challenge | Solution |
|---|---|
| Assessing business needs | Identify your goals and evaluate existing infrastructure to align with Intune capabilities. |
| Defining device and application requirements | Inventory devices and list essential applications for management through Intune. |
| Establishing security and compliance policies | Create security protocols and align policies with compliance frameworks like GDPR or HIPAA. |
| Planning for user access and role assignments | Define user groups and set role-based access control (RBAC) for appropriate permissions. |
| Preparing for integration with existing systems | Verify integration points and test to ensure smooth data flow with current systems. |
| Providing user training and support | Develop training materials and establish support channels for user assistance during rollout. |
Best Practices for Admins
To make the most of Microsoft Intune, you should follow some best practices. These tips will help you manage your environment securely and efficiently:
- Protect admin accounts by using them only for administrative tasks. Have separate user accounts for regular use.
- Create an emergency admin account without multi-factor authentication. This prevents being locked out during critical situations.
- Implement role-based access control (RBAC). This limits admin actions and visibility to specific users and devices.
- Embrace phishing-resistant authentication methods. This secures admin actions and enhances overall security.
- Require multi-admin approval for sensitive changes. This reduces risks associated with unauthorized modifications.
Additionally, consider these steps to optimize your Intune configurations:
- Inventory who has high-impact roles and remove unnecessary broad assignments.
- Leverage built-in role definitions and create custom roles for least-privilege control.
- Implement scoped administration to ensure admins can only affect resources within their assigned scope.
Microsoft recommends adopting a defense-in-depth strategy for securing Intune administration. Use Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management for time-bound role assignments. Strong authentication methods and a token theft response plan will help you monitor and respond to unusual admin activities.
By following these steps and best practices, you’ll set a solid foundation for managing your organization’s devices and applications with Microsoft Intune.
In summary, Microsoft Intune plays a crucial role in managing devices and applications securely. It simplifies IT tasks, enhances security, and ensures compliance across your organization. By adopting Intune, you can safeguard data without requiring mobile device enrollment, which boosts user flexibility.
Consider these key takeaways:
- Ensure users receive proper training to use devices securely.
- Assess if your Intune setup can scale with your organization's growth.
- Identify any integration challenges with existing IT systems.
Explore how Microsoft Intune can benefit your organization and improve your overall security posture.
FAQ
What devices can I manage with Microsoft Intune?
You can manage a variety of devices, including Windows PCs, macOS computers, iOS and Android smartphones, and tablets. Intune supports both corporate-owned and personal devices, making it flexible for different work environments.
How does device enrollment work?
Device enrollment allows you to register devices with Intune. Users can enroll their devices through the Company Portal app or by following specific setup instructions for their operating system, ensuring they comply with your organization’s policies.
Can I manage applications with Intune?
Absolutely! Intune lets you deploy, update, and manage applications across all enrolled devices. You can enforce security policies and ensure users have access to the necessary tools for their work.
What is Conditional Access in Intune?
Conditional Access is a security feature that controls access to corporate resources based on specific conditions. It ensures that only compliant devices can access sensitive data, enhancing your organization’s security posture.
Is training available for Intune users?
Yes! Microsoft provides various resources, including documentation, tutorials, and community forums. These resources help users understand how to use Intune effectively and maximize its benefits.
How does Intune support remote work?
Intune enables remote management of devices and applications. IT admins can deploy policies, push updates, and troubleshoot issues without needing physical access to devices, making it ideal for remote work scenarios.
Can I integrate Intune with other Microsoft services?
Yes! Intune integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft services like Azure Active Directory, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Defender. This integration enhances security and simplifies management across your organization.
What support options are available for Intune?
Microsoft offers various support options, including online documentation, community forums, and paid support plans. You can choose the option that best fits your organization’s needs.
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What happens when a company hands you a laptop
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and says go to work?
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You power it on, sign in, and start doing your job.
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But behind that simple moment, there's
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a whole process running in the background.
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Something has to install the right apps,
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enforce the security settings, and make sure your device is
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safe to use with company data.
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15 years ago, that process looked very different.
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I'd had to physically touch every single device.
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They'd unbox a laptop, install the operating system,
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configure every setting by hand, load all the applications,
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test everything, and then hand it to you.
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If something needed to change later on the security update
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in your app, somebody had to push that change manually
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or through complex on-premise servers.
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Intune changes all of that.
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It's a cloud service that does the entire job remotely.
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Without IT ever needing to see your device,
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think of it as a digital bouncer and butler
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for your work devices.
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It decides what's allowed in, what stays out,
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and makes sure everything runs smoothly.
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All from the cloud.
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What exactly is Microsoft Intune?
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Here's the simplest definition.
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Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based service
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that manages devices, phones, laptops, tablets,
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from one central dashboard.
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It's part of Microsoft's endpoint manager family,
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but most people just call it Intune.
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Now let's clear up a common confusion.
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Intune is not a VPN, not antivirus software,
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and not a remote desktop tool.
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It's a device management platform.
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That means its job is to control what happens on a device,
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enforce rules, and keep an eye on device health.
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Not to connect you to a network or scan for viruses,
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though it does work alongside tools that do those things.
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Intune has three core jobs.
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It enforces security settings,
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things like password requirements,
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encryption and camera restrictions.
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It deploys apps, so when you need outlook or teams,
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they just appear on your device.
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And it tracks device health.
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It knows whether your device is up to date,
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whether it's encrypted, and whether it's been compromised.
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And it does all of this across pretty much every platform
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you can think of.
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Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Android, even some Linux devices.
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So whether you're using a corporate laptop,
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a personal phone for work, or a shared tablet
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on a factory floor, Intune can manage it.
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But Intune didn't appear out of nowhere.
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It solved a very specific problem
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that used to drive IT teams crazy.
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The old way versus the Intune way.
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Picture this.
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It's 15 years ago, and a new employee joins the company.
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Someone in the IT department grabs a laptop from a shelf,
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unboxes it, installs the operating system
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from a USB drive, configures every setting manually,
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loads all the required applications, runs tests,
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and then finally hands it to the new hire.
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That process could take hours per device,
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and for a company onboarding 50 people, that's days of work.
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Updates were just as painful because IT
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had to push group policies from on-premise servers
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sitting in a server room somewhere.
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Devices would only check for those updates
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when they were connected to the corporate network.
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So if you were working from home, or from a coffee shop,
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or from an airport lounge, your device
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might go weeks without receiving critical security updates.
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And mobile devices, they were basically a blind spot.
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It had no real way to manage phones.
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If an employee used their personal phone
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to check work email, which everybody did,
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there was no way to enforce a passcode,
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no way to wipe corporate data if the phone was lost,
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and no way to know if the device was even secure.
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Intune turned this entire model around.
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It lives in the cloud, which means it's always connected.
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Devices check in from anywhere, your home office,
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a hotel lobby, a client site, and Intune
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can push updates, enforce policies,
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and check compliance in real time.
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It sets the policies once, and every device
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follows them automatically.
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No manual setup, and no waiting for the next network connection.
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So how does Intune actually pull this off?
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Let's look under the hood at the three core building
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blocks that make it work.
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The three core building blocks.
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Let's start with device enrollment.
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This is how a device gets claimed by your company,
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and the method depends on who owns it.
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For company-owned devices, Windows Autopilot
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is the gold standard.
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Imagine a laptop shipped directly from Dell or Lenovo
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to a new employee.
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They power it on, connect to Wi-Fi, and enter their work email.
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That's it.
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Behind the scenes, Intune recognizes
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the device's unique hardware hash, applies the right
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configuration, installs the required apps,
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and joins it to the company's directory.
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No IT person ever touched that laptop.
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For iPhones and Macs, Intune integrates with Apple Business
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Manager.
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When a company buys devices through an authorized reseller,
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those devices are automatically linked to the organization.
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The first time someone turns on their new iPhone,
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it walks them through the setup and enrolls into Intune
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before they even see the home screen.
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For personal devices, what people call BYOD
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or bring your own device, Intune uses something called
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a work profile on Android and user enrollment on iOS.
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Instead of taking over the whole phone,
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it creates a separate encrypted space just for work, apps,
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and data.
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Your personal photos, messages, and apps
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stay completely private.
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Once the device is enrolled, Intune pushes down
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configuration policies.
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Think of these as the house rules for your work device.
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They define things like password requirements.
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Must be six characters, must include a number,
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must change every 90 days.
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They enforce encryption.
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So if your laptop gets stolen, nobody can read the files.
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They can block the camera, disable Bluetooth,
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or restrict which apps are allowed to run.
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These policies are set once by IT and applied automatically
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to every enrolled device.
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Then there are compliance policies, which
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are the health checks that run constantly behind the scenes,
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is the device up to date with the latest security patches,
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is encryption still enabled?
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Has the device been jailbroken or rooted?
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Intune checks all of this on a regular basis, typically
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every eight hours.
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If a device falls out of compliance, say the user
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disabled encryption or skipped a critical update,
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Intune can take action.
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It might send a notification asking the user to fix the problem,
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block access to company email and files
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until the issue is resolved, or in extreme cases,
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wipe the device remotely.
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But managing the device itself is only half the story
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of what about the apps and data on it?
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Mobile Application Management, the BYOD Superpower.
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This is where Intune really shines.
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A lot of companies let employees use personal phones
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for work.
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It saves money, people prefer using their own devices,
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and it's more convenient.
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But there's attention there.
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Full device management on a personal phone feels invasive.
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Nobody wants their employer controlling their photos,
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their messages, their personal apps.
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Intune's answer to this is something
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called Mobile Application Management, or MAM for short.
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Instead of managing the whole device,
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Intune manages only the work apps.
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Here's how it works.
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You install Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive
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on your personal phone like normal.
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But when you sign in with your work account,
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those apps get a corporate wrapper.
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That wrapper controls what you can do with work data
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inside those apps.
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Let me give you a real example.
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You can read a work email in Outlook on your personal phone.
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That's fine, but you cannot copy that email
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and paste it into a personal notes app.
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You cannot save a work document to your personal cloud storage.
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You cannot forward a confidential message
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to your personal email address.
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The corporate wrapper enforces those rules at the app level,
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not the device level.
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And here's the best part.
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If you leave the company, or if your phone is lost or stolen,
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IT can wipe the corporate data from those apps remotely.
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They don't touch your personal photos, your text messages,
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your contacts, or any of your personal apps.
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They just remove the work data from Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive.
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Your phone goes back to being your phone.
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This is what makes BYOD actually workable.
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Employees get to use their own devices.
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Employers get to protect their data.
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Nobody has to choose between privacy and security.
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This brings us to the security layer
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that ties everything together.
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Identity and conditional access.
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The gatekeeper.
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Intune doesn't work alone.
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It sits on top of another Microsoft service called EntraID.
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You might know it by its old name, Azure Active Directory.
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Think of EntraID as the identity system.
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It knows who you are.
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It knows whether you're allowed to sign in.
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It handles authentication.
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The part where you type your password and get a code on your phone.
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What Intune does is add device information to that picture.
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Intune tells EntraID.
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This device is healthy and compliant.
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Or this device has a problem.
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That signal, device health,
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becomes part of the access decision.
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This is where conditional access comes in.
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Conditional access policies combine both signals into one rule.
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Is this the right person?
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Are they on a healthy device?
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Are they connecting from a trusted location?
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The policy checks all three before granting access.
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Here's what that looks like in practice.
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You're sitting in a coffee shop,
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trying to check your email on your work laptop.
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You type your password correctly.
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You pass the MFA check.
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But behind the scenes,
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Entune reports that your device hasn't installed
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the latest security update.
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It's out of compliance.
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Conditional access sees that signal
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and blocks access.
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You can't get to your email until you install that update.
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The password was correct, the person was you.
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But the device wasn't healthy, so access was denied.
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This is the foundation of something called zero trust.
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It's a security model that says,
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"Never trust, always verify.
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"Don't assume something is safe
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"just because it's on the corporate network.
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"Don't assume a user is legitimate
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"just because they know the password.
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"Check everything every time.
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"Intune is the tool that makes device verification
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"possible in a zero trust world."
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Now let's talk about the practical stuff.
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What does Entune actually look like for the people
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who use it every day?
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The admin experience versus the user experience.
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For IT admins, Entune looks like a single dashboard
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where every enrolled device shows up
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with its compliance status,
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last check-in time, operating system, and primary user.
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At a glance, they can see which devices are healthy
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and which ones have problems.
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From that dashboard, admins can take remote actions.
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If a laptop gets lost, they can wipe it remotely,
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all data gone, just like that.
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If an employee forgets their pin,
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they can reset it without making them bring the device to IT.
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Critical security update, they can push it
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to every device with a few clicks.
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The reporting is just as powerful.
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Admins can see exactly which devices are out of compliance
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and why, filter by platform, user or policy,
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and export reports for audits, all in one place.
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For end users, that's you.
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Entune is nearly invisible.
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Most of the time, you never know it's there
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and that's exactly the goal.
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You might use the company portal app once
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to install Work Apps, see a notification
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about a password update,
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or notice your work laptop forces you to use a pin
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before booting.
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But the vast majority of Intune's work
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happens silently in the background.
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Pushing configuration changes, updating apps, checking
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compliance, and reporting back to the admin dashboard,
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all automatically, without any input from you.
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The best Intune deployment is the one users never think about.
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They just know their devices work, their apps are there,
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and their data is safe with everything else happening
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behind the scenes, Intune versus the alternatives.
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Now, Intune is powerful,
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but it's not the only device management platform out there.
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Let's look at how it compares to the main alternatives.
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The big one is Jamf Pro,
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the gold standard for Apple-only environments.
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If your company only uses Macs and iPhones,
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Jamf gives you much deeper control.
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You can run shell scripts, build complex automation workflows,
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and patch third-party Mac apps automatically.
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It's built by Apple Specialist for Apple Specialist,
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but it only manages Apple devices.
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So if you have a single Windows laptop
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in your fleet, Jamf can't help you,
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then there's VMware Workspace 1,
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a strong cross-platform competitor
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that manages Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android just like Intune.
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But it's more complex to set up.
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It tends to be more expensive
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and requires dedicated expertise to run well.
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Intune's advantage comes down to integration.
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It's built into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem,
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talking directly to Android for identity,
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defendable security, and office apps for data protection.
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Everything is designed to work together
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because Microsoft built it all.
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For organizations already using Microsoft 365,
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which is most, Intune is the natural choice.
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You don't need to buy a separate tool,
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learn a separate interface,
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or manage a separate integration.
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It's already there.
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Included in your E3 or E5 license.
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That said, many large enterprises use both.
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Jamf for their Apple devices,
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giving Mac admins deep control, and Intune for everything else.
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The two platforms integrate
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so Jamf can send compliance signals to Intune,
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which feeds them into conditional access.
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It's more complex, but it gives you the best of both worlds.
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What's coming next?
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Intune keeps getting better
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and the biggest shift arrives in July, 2026,
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when several Intune Suite capabilities
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move into the standard Microsoft 365, E3 and E5 licenses.
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Features that used to cost extra are now included.
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Remote help lets it take over screen for troubleshooting.
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Advanced analytics gives deeper insights
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into device performance.
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CloudPKi handles certificate management
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without running your own infrastructure.
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These were all add-ons,
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but now they're part of the base license.
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E5 subscribers get even more.
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Endpoint privilege management allows users
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to temporarily elevate permissions
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to install software or change settings
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without granting full admin rights.
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It's a smart middle ground between security and usability,
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and the security co-pilot integration
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brings AI assisted troubleshooting
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and policy recommendations directly into the Intune console.
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The direction here is clear.
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Intune is shifting from a standalone product
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to a built-in management layer inside Microsoft 365.
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It's not something you bolt on later.
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It's part of the foundation from the start,
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and here's the bottom line.
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Microsoft Intune is a cloud service that manages devices,
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enforces security, deploys apps, and protects corporate data,
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or without IT ever touching a single device.
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But the key isn't just device management, it's trust.
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Intune tells the rest of Microsoft 365
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this device is safe, let it through.
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That simple signal of device health
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powers conditional access, zero trust,
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and modern cloud security.
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If you use a work laptop or phone,
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Intune is probably running behind the scenes right now,
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keeping things secure without you ever noticing.
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That's the point.
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Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform
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and share this with someone starting their journey.
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Coming up next, Microsoft Defender,
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the security shield you didn't know you had.
Founder of m365.fm, m365.show and m365con.net
Mirko Peters is a Microsoft 365 expert, content creator, and founder of m365.fm, a platform dedicated to sharing practical insights on modern workplace technologies. His work focuses on Microsoft 365 governance, security, collaboration, and real-world implementation strategies.
Through his podcast and written content, Mirko provides hands-on guidance for IT professionals, architects, and business leaders navigating the complexities of Microsoft 365. He is known for translating complex topics into clear, actionable advice, often highlighting common mistakes and overlooked risks in real-world environments.
With a strong emphasis on community contribution and knowledge sharing, Mirko is actively building a platform that connects experts, shares experiences, and helps organizations get the most out of their Microsoft 365 investments.
