Microsoft Intune is a flagship product from Microsoft that delivers cloud-based endpoint management and protection. Its robust capabilities facilitate the organization of corporate systems.
In this article, we’ll explore Intune’s intricacies, various components, operational mechanisms, and pivotal role in overcoming operational challenges. Furthermore, we’ll analyze the advantages and drawbacks of utilizing Intune in different contexts, providing valuable insights to help guide our strategic decisions.
If you're curious about the alternatives to Intune, check out our guide here!
Microsoft Intune serves as a capable solution for business leaders, tackling the following challenges:
For more on Intune's cybersecurity features, check out, Simplify Endpoint Security with Microsoft Intune and Microsoft Cloud PKI
Within the Microsoft Intune suite of tools, you'll find advanced endpoint analytics and a VPN tunnel designed specifically for mobile apps. With various specialized device management features, Microsoft Intune offers customization tailored to your business network.
Let's highlight some key features of Microsoft Intune that apply to corporate systems.
This web-based administration center is the dashboard of Microsoft Intune’s set of tools. It allows anyone with the proper credentials to access and monitor an Intune instance from anywhere.
Microsoft describes the admin center as a “portal” into your network. For example, let's say a senior manager might be in the field trying to figure out whether certain types of policies or protections are applied—Intune's Admin Center makes that a very simple task.
For decades, VPNs have been a go-to for remote systems protection. By creating a secure encrypted tunnel for information from an endpoint to a network core, VPNs help protect data going on and off your secure network. VPNs are especially useful if users are accessing your network from a public location—like at an airport—where, without a VPN tunnel, hackers could easily grab sensitive information.
The built-in VPN for Intune is called Microsoft Tunnel.
Microsoft Intune works on the zero trust model, meaning it considers all traffic suspicious by default. This way, traffic is vetted for legitimacy directly rather than through a system like a traditional firewall, which tends to filter out specific activity and let the rest through. As Microsoft puts it, zero trust “assumes (a) breach and verifies each request as though it originates from an open network,” which can decrease the risk of an actual threat.
This Microsoft Intune feature offers a setup wizard for new devices connecting to the network. By enrolling devices in the device management program, users can quickly and effectively get the power of Microsoft Intune working on any endpoint. Using Windows Autopilot eliminates the need for device re-imaging. Example; a senior manager might be in the field trying to determine whether 8 specific policies or protections become applied—Intune’s Admin Center makes that straightforward.
The configuration manager makes it easier to manage a distributed network by helping with things like patch management and other changes. As we'll see later, one of the top things that reviewers like about Microsoft Intune is the robust set of configuration tools. Microsoft promotes the configuration manager in part by claiming its potential for empowering users and getting more out of an enterprise device investment in hardware and software.
Defender allows for the effective onboarding of devices. With it, users can manage device compliance policies and set up conditional access policies for devices. For example, in BYOD scenarios, the administrator can block an employee's private phone from getting certain corporate information if the device is non-compliant. This kind of triage is invaluably useful to cybersecurity.
Experts discuss Microsoft Intune's ability to introduce and establish a "service-to-service connection" to describe how this type of endpoint protection works. Think about it like this: rather than just having a firewall work on incoming traffic from a set of personal employee phones, the Microsoft Intune system will compile the correct data on each connection to be able to apply those policies that protect it.
Basically, if a persons identity is applied to a specific device, Intune knows to apply the protection to those credentials.
Microsoft Intune has the capacity for self-service. This includes the use of device reports and device compliance reports, as well as application inventory reports, user reports, and more. In terms of remote management, Retire – Wipe – Sync – and Remote Lock are all self-service tasks in the portal. This type of management showcases some of the best functionality made possible by the cloud and remote authentication.
This component of Microsoft Intune allows leaders to set up devices to set rules on a per-app basis. Rather than doing this kind of work from on-premises infrastructure, Microsoft Intune supports full administration in the cloud. For example, a top manager can let some private devices run approved and privileged apps without opening up the rest of the desktop to network access, and run those apps in a cloud-native system.
Let's look at some of the pros and cons of using this endpoint management and protection tool:
Some of the highest marks that reviewers have given Microsoft Intune are for its practical application of top-level goals like endpoint protection and better system visibility.
Reviewers also note that Microsoft Intune is suitable for capable policy enforcement—for example, by using the application-specific tools in the enterprise app management feature. Customers enjoy features like Windows Autopilot and MS Azure synergies. As mentioned above, and the reviewers seem to agree, the ability to use the configuration manager and toolkit for managing things like patching is a huge plus.
Another feather in Microsoft Intune’s cap is the full cloud design, which allows businesses to replace bulky on-premises administration with something lean and mean delivered through the Internet. The sea change toward the cloud has been going on for many years now, culminating in a massive trend of modernization away from on-premises hardware and toward migration to cloud models. MS Intune can be a key element in accomplishing this change.
In terms of when to use Intune, many agree that this sort of endpoint protection is most effective for enormous networks and organizations with many employees and locations. People talk about using Intune primarily for distributed systems because it’s so good at managing large-scale operations with many moving
parts.
An organization where commissioning and decommissioning users might be a regular occurrence, where on-boarding and decommissioning devices happen all the time, and where device events are frequent is an excellent candidate for Intune.
As a bonus, Intune also works very well on Apple products.
One of the most commonly reported downsides around Microsoft Intune are the challenges that can arise using this toolkit with non-Microsoft systems and components.
Integration issues can happen on Android devices and extend to non-Windows operating systems. That being said, Microsoft Intune is reportedly working well with most Apple devices. One of the other main issues with the system is its rigid dashboard, where changing and customization can be difficult.
In terms of what businesses are best for using Microsoft Intune, many agree that this sort of endpoint protection is most effective for large networks and businesses with many employees and locations. People talk about using Microsoft Intune for distributed systems because it's so good at managing large-scale operations with a lot of moving parts.
For example, an organization where commissioning and decommissioning users might be a regular occurrence, where on-boarding and decommissioning devices happen all the time, and where device events are frequent is a good candidate for Intune.
However, large organizations can encounter another challenge—scheduling. Businesses with too much device activity might encounter scheduling problems, albeit problems that should be solvable with the right system tweaks. On the other hand, small businesses might get less of a tangible benefit from the oversight that Microsoft Intune provides.
That doesn't mean Intune isn't for small businesses, as achieving a lot of granular control on a smaller network is still possible. Still, a small business might not get as much out of it as it would if it were the type of network where admins might struggle with complexity prior to adoption.
Moreover, Microsoft Intune often works better for companies where the business is better able to train all levels of staff internally. Some corporate cultures achieve this better than others, and user awareness makes a big difference with a suite like Microsoft Intune. Without the right collaboration, the client can have all sorts of problems with administering the tools provided.
Moving forward with Microsoft Intune and SCCM must align with your current and future technical and operational requirements. Ultimately, this decision must become the gold standard for future IT deployments. Partnering with Hypershift will make this decision and other future IT decisions the best choice for your organization.
Hypershift’s extensive experience in Microsoft Intune, SCCM, and endpoint security, combined with its clear focus on a customer-first culture, gives it an incredible advantage over most Microsoft consulting firms. While we specialize in mid-sized companies, we have partnered with organizations of all sizes—including Fortune 100 giants. Over 160 financial institutions trust our managed service division. We take pride in being a part of CISA’s critical security infrastructure initiative, helping to safeguard organizations.
What is Microsoft Intune used for?
Microsoft Intune is used for effective endpoint protection and management of corporate systems. It provides a comprehensive toolkit for the entire device life cycle, from on-boarding to decommissioning.
How do I enroll a device in Microsoft Intune?
Microsoft Intune contains specific on-boarding tools and information to show business leaders how to connect and commission devices.
What does Microsoft Intune do?
Microsoft Intune provides endpoint protection by setting up things like secure VPN, configuration manager, application-specific controls and more.
How much is Microsoft Intune?
Microsoft Intune is available to companies through a subscription basis. Costs vary according to plan choice and other factors; in general, Microsoft Intune comes with per-device fees in a range around $8.00-$10.00.
Is Microsoft Intune Safe?
Microsoft Intune is a safe technology that promotes endpoint safety and protection. It’s usually safer to run a system with Microsoft Intune than without it. Reports and other features may also be helpful to a network’s more general cybersecurity effort.
What's the purpose of Microsoft Intune?
The purpose of Microsoft Intune is to help corporate networks harden their systems by pursuing effective endpoint management. It accomplishes this through many different tools: configuration manager, enterprise app management, VPN, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.