In the rapidly evolving world of technology, Microsoft InTune has become a buzzword. But what exactly is Microsoft InTune, and why does it matter? This article will explain it from two key perspectives: the end user’s and the admin’s.
Microsoft InTune from the End User’s Perspective
As an end user, you may have noticed a Microsoft InTune-related application on your mobile, Windows, or Mac devices and wondered what it is. The first thing to know is that it is a legitimate application, designed to assist you in accessing your corporate resources such as email, chat applications like Microsoft Teams, and other corporate applications that might be related to your enterprise.
If you’re using a personal mobile device and have Microsoft InTune installed on it, it indicates that your organization supports accessing emails, Microsoft Teams, or some intranet applications from your mobile device with the help of Microsoft InTune.
In essence, Microsoft InTune is there to provide secure access to your enterprise applications. It can be considered an advantage for you, especially if you’re using a personal device and have office email access on it. Microsoft InTune’s main application for the end user is the Microsoft InTune company portal, which is available on Android and iOS devices. This portal helps users search, browse, and install applications made available to them by their company.
Microsoft InTune from the Admin’s Perspective
From an IT admin’s perspective, Microsoft InTune is a powerful tool for device management, data reporting, application deployment, and identity protection. It provides a web admin console that does not require installation of any specific applications or MMC consoles, and it can be accessed via any modern browser.
Microsoft InTune can also integrate with on-premises device management solutions like Configuration Manager (also known as SCCM), Windows Autopilot Services, Microsoft Defender for endpoint solutions (like antivirus and other security solutions), and Windows Auto patch.
Moreover, InTune is a part of the larger Microsoft 365 family, which means that many Microsoft 365 services are directly or out-of-box integrated with Microsoft InTune. It also supports integration with third-party applications such as Google Play and the Apple Store, enabling admins to deploy apps to Android and iOS devices. Integration with TeamViewer is also possible, and mobile threat defense services can be managed with Microsoft InTune.
Simplified Device Management with Microsoft InTune
From a Windows perspective, Microsoft InTune simplifies device management. While the architecture of InTune’s cloud-based infrastructure, which Microsoft manages end-to-end, is complex on a global scale, users and enterprises don’t need to worry about it.
In conclusion, Microsoft InTune is a robust tool for both end users and admins, providing secure access to enterprise applications for end users and a range of management and integration options for admins. It truly embodies the concept of unified endpoint management, supporting various device platforms like Windows, iOS, iPad OS, MacOS, Chrome OS, Linux, and independent Android operating systems.
Microsoft Intune: The Product Perspective and Licensing
In the previous section, we delved into the intricacies of Microsoft Intune’s user experience, highlighting both its simplicity and complexity. We also touched upon its broad integration capabilities with various Microsoft solutions and beyond. This time, we’re switching gears to look at Microsoft Intune from a product perspective and examine its licensing model.
The Product Umbrella
Microsoft Intune is more than just a device management Software as a Service (SaaS) solution. It’s a product umbrella that encompasses several other products and services. Alongside its core device management features, which include server-side and client-side elements and administration functionalities, Microsoft Intune also packages additional solutions into its product family.
One of these bundled products is the Microsoft Configuration Manager (also known as SCCM), an on-prem device management solution with a long history of over 25 years. The Intune product family also includes Microsoft Intune Suite for Advanced Solutions, which boasts additional components such as Remote Help Tunnel and Microsoft Intune Endpoint Privilege Management Solutions. In essence, Microsoft Intune is more than just a single product – it’s a family of solutions designed to meet a wide array of device management needs.
Licensing and Added Features
Moving on to licensing, it’s important to note that while the Configuration Manager is part of the standard Intune license, additional features such as Remote Help, Tunnel for mobile application management, Advanced Endpoint Analytics, and Endpoint Privilege Management come with additional costs. These features are not included in the base Microsoft Intune license and require separate purchases.
Microsoft continually introduces new features, many of which may also require additional licensing. This is why Intune is considered a product family, encompassing a variety of technical solutions and device management tools, all packaged under the Intune umbrella.
A Teaser on Architecture
While we briefly introduced the concept of Microsoft Intune’s architecture, we haven’t yet delved into the details. How has Microsoft built this architecture? What makes it unique? These are questions we’ll answer in the upcoming installment of this series.
Summary
To recap, we’ve explored what Microsoft Intune is from both a product and technical perspective, examined its licensing model, and discussed the advantages it offers to end users. We’ve also briefly touched upon its architectural design. In a future blog article, we will delve into more technical details and further uncover the architecture of Microsoft Intune.
