Syed Muqthiar Ahmed - PeerSpot reviewer
System Specialist at BMIT SOLUTIONS
Real User
Top 20
Helps securely manage devices at scale
Pros and Cons
  • "I haven't used other mobile device management solutions, but compared to SCCM, we eliminate a lot of on-premises infrastructure and maintenance by using Intune."
  • "It would really be helpful to have the option to manage server operating systems as well, like Windows Server, at least. That way, we could scrap the use of SCCM, which requires a lot of on-premises infrastructure."

What is our primary use case?

I'm using all the services that Intune provides, including managing Windows 10 devices and mobile devices, with both the mobile application management and without enrolling the devices. I use it for deploying configuration profiles, compliance and app protection policies, as well as onboarding Windows 10 devices to the Defender portal.

What is most valuable?

I haven't used other mobile device management solutions, but compared to SCCM, we eliminate a lot of on-premises infrastructure and maintenance by using Intune.

What needs improvement?

For mobile device management, especially for the Windows operating system, it's quite impressive. But it would really be helpful to have the option to manage server operating systems as well, like Windows Server, at least. That way, we could scrap the use of SCCM, which requires a lot of on-premises infrastructure.

Another area for improvement is the reporting structure. For example, currently, when deploying Windows 10 or Windows 11 updates, I don't get any detail or structured reports showing which updates are installed on the devices. It only gives me information on whether the update policy has been successfully deployed on the device or not. That type of installed-updates detail would be helpful.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been working with Intune for more than four years. I'm part of a support operations team managing clients' infrastructures on Intune.

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The product is very stable. If you have to think about managing devices securely, go with Intune. Although I have not used any other mobile device management solutions, Intune is very reliable and it's hardly out of service at all.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

From the start of my career, I have been managing clients in Europe but Microsoft has no boundaries when it comes to using Intune. There are certain services that are restricted to specific regions, but that is not the case with Intune. It can be used in any region and with any number of users. I have managed environments with 5,000 to 10,000 devices enrolled in Intune.

How are customer service and support?

If there is a service outage, that is made very clear on Microsoft's service portal in the admin center. But if an issue comes up where, for example, a policy deployed from Intune has not been received on a device, it is very difficult to evaluate whether the issue is with Intune or the device. In that scenario, Microsoft itself is confused about whether the situation has to be escalated to the desktop support team or the Intune team.

Other than that, everything is good.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

The initial deployment process is very straightforward. It's software as a service. You just buy the subscription and start using it. It's not the case that there are very complex configurations or prerequisites to start off.

It does not require any maintenance on the customer's side. Microsoft takes care of all the maintenance.

What was our ROI?

Having devices managed at scale and maintaining security posture are, of course, value-adds, in comparison with the cost our clients pay to purchase the service. It is worth it.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Microsoft offers different licensing structures. It offers standalone licensing for Intune, but Intune is also included in other licenses, such as for Microsoft 365, E3, and E5, Business Premium, and Business Standard.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

There are other MDM solutions, like Workspace One from VMware, which has support for server operating systems as well. I've never used it but I did a quick comparison of the supported operating systems.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Anand Rathod - PeerSpot reviewer
Consultant at Infosys
MSP
Top 10
Scalable with long-term viability and integrates well with other Microsoft products
Pros and Cons
  • "The features I found most valuable in Intune are its user visibility and troubleshooting options."
  • "Areas for improvement in Intune include expanding support beyond Samsung devices to accommodate other Android manufacturers like Redmi and Motorola."

What is our primary use case?

I worked with Microsoft Intune in my level two support role. My tasks included license assignment and assisting users with configuration issues, especially in mobile device management for iOS and Android devices.

What is most valuable?

The features I found most valuable in Intune are its user visibility and troubleshooting options. With Intune, I can easily search for a user and see details about their devices and real-time activity. The advanced audit log is especially helpful for diagnosing login and communication issues. Another standout feature is Autopilot, which simplifies machine integration by automatically adding devices to the domain when they are logged in.

What needs improvement?

Areas for improvement in Intune include expanding support beyond Samsung devices to accommodate other Android manufacturers like Redmi and Motorola. Additionally, there is a need for better support for Linux operating systems, as patch management for Linux is currently not managed by Intune, unlike for Windows devices.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have worked with Microsoft Intune for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In terms of stability, Intune generally performs well, but there may be occasional bugs like the issue with Redmi devices. While bugs are addressed, the resolution process can be time-consuming.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Intune is a scalable tool with long-term viability. I think it is likely to remain stable and relevant in the market for at least the next decade, even as competition evolves.

How are customer service and support?

I would rate the technical support team for Intune as a five out of ten. It could be improved a bit.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

The implementation of Intune follows a structured process, starting with a change activity managed by a dedicated team. This involves creating a ServiceNow ticket detailing the implementation plan, rollback options, and involvement of various teams. After approval, testing is conducted, followed by deployment in a phased manner, typically at the beginning of the month to avoid interfering with critical month-end activities.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

In comparison to other vendors, Intune is reasonably priced because it offers a comprehensive package that includes email access, Outlook, Office, and OneDrive storage, with storage increasing based on the license. Other service providers may have limitations and additional storage charges, whereas Intune provides services within a single cost, making it attractive to many companies for its flexibility and included features.

What other advice do I have?

We used Microsoft Intune to solve problems, such as ensuring device security and compliance. For instance, some Redmi devices weren't meeting encryption requirements. We addressed this by enabling developer options on those devices, specifically, Redmi models 5 and above. We documented this solution for reference and future troubleshooting.

The most effective feature for managing and securing our mobile workforce is multifactor authentication. It adds an extra layer of security by requiring additional authentication steps when logging into devices. Additionally, conditional access policies allow us to set specific rules, such as blocking downloads or file transfers from personal devices to company resources, ensuring compliance with security policies.

It took about six months to start seeing the benefits of Intune deployment, especially regarding application deployment and user machine management.

Intune integration with other Microsoft products has strengthened our device management strategy by incorporating in-house applications like Outlook, Wi-Fi, and others. Additionally, it provides a mechanism similar to the Google Play Store for adding required applications internally, including Microsoft products like Dropbox, Google Chrome, and others.

Intune is deployed across various locations and departments within our organization. Licenses are allocated based on department and employee roles by our Office 365 team. Users are added to Active Directory groups, and ServiceNow automates configuration and support requests.

Intune requires regular maintenance, typically provided by the IT team or architects. Microsoft releases service updates approximately every three to four months, during which maintenance downtime may occur. 

I would recommend Microsoft Intune to others, especially those working in the field of technology. Staying updated with new technologies is crucial, and Intune offers valuable features for device management and security. However, the decision to use Intune depends on individual needs and preferences, as well as company requirements.

Overall, I would give Microsoft Intune a seven out of ten. While it is a solid tool, there are other competitors in the market like AirWatch and BlackBerry UEM that offer similar functionalities.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Nagendra Nekkala. - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Manager ICT & Innovations at Bangalore International Airport Limited
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Provides a user-friendly interface while ensuring strong security measures and policy compliance
Pros and Cons
  • "The standout features of Intune are its excellent mobile device management and highly effective application management capabilities."
  • "Microsoft Intune could enhance its patch management for various devices, ensuring regular updates and tracking of device privileges."

What is our primary use case?

I use Microsoft Intune to manage and secure all our devices from one central platform. It helps me enroll and configure devices, deploy applications, and enforce security policies.

How has it helped my organization?

We chose Microsoft Intune to enhance endpoint management, leveraging Azure Active Directory for robust authentication. Intune's cloud-based solutions streamline device and application management, providing a user-friendly interface while ensuring strong security measures and policy compliance.

Intune has significantly bolstered our organization's security by consistently applying the latest security policies and conducting regular assessments. Its proactive approach ensures that our security measures remain robust and up-to-date.

It has significantly increased overall IT productivity in the company by enhancing efficiency and operational effectiveness. For example, its continuous monitoring and detection capabilities prevent unauthorized access attempts and streamline resource creation processes.

Microsoft Intune has notably reduced the risk of security breaches in our organization. It has significantly elevated our security posture, which is evident in the increased security score it has provided.

Microsoft Intune has helped our company save costs, especially with the implementation of policies like BYOD. This has been a significant cost-saving measure for us.

What is most valuable?

The standout features of Intune are its excellent mobile device management and highly effective application management capabilities. They streamline our operations and significantly enhance security measures.

What needs improvement?

In terms of improvement, Microsoft Intune could enhance its patch management for various devices, ensuring regular updates and tracking of device privileges. Performance reports would also be valuable for better monitoring and management.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Microsoft Intune for five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Intune is a quite stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have 2,000 users currently utilizing Intune. It is highly scalable.

How are customer service and support?

I would rate Microsoft's technical support as a nine out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Before Microsoft Intune, we were using SCCM, which is a more traditional approach. We switched to Intune for its modern and comprehensive capabilities, as SCCM lacked certain functionalities and agility.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Intune was straightforward, taking just one day to deploy. Our implementation strategy focused on identifying and securing all available assets, including desktops and mobiles. The setup was managed by one person.

What other advice do I have?

Endpoint Privilege Management, through enforcing the least privileged access, enhances user productivity by safeguarding sensitive resources and data. This proactive approach aligns with auditor-defined policies, ensuring secure privileged account life cycles and minimizing operational costs. It simplifies management while providing robust protection.

Endpoint Privilege Management strengthens our security against attacks by limiting privileged access. For real-time protection, it defends against malware threats on all devices, including new or remote ones.

Intune helped us consolidate vendors, enhancing security without significantly affecting license costs, as it operates on an enterprise model. This streamlining has improved our overall vendor engagement.

Intune's integration with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Security is crucial for our cloud journey. It provides the flexibility for users to bring their own devices and work from anywhere, aligning with our automation scaling needs.

My advice for people who are considering using Microsoft Intune is to go for it. It offers excellent scalability, accommodating any number of devices, and it is straightforward to set up, providing effective plug-and-play functionality. Overall, I would rate it as a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Deputy Director Information Technology Operations at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Easy to manage and bundled with our license, but needs wizard-driven policy creation and better support
Pros and Cons
  • "It is quite policy-enabled, so you can build pretty much any policy to manage remote endpoints."
  • "There could be more wizard-driven policy development or creation. Some of the policies can get quite complex. If they have a wizard that assists the administrators in creating the policy, that will be a great job."

What is our primary use case?

I am an Operations and Infrastructure manager. I do not use it directly. My team is the implementer, and I oversee it. I know the product, and I know what I can do and what it can do. I just do not push the buttons.

We are still launching it. We have about 85% of our PCs in Intune. We have only got two or three conditional access policies and compliance policies in place.

We are using it for endpoint management for basically getting control. Our next step will be to launch Autopilot. We will use Intune Autopilot and then also security policy management and group policy management. We will also use it for updates and patching compliance.

How has it helped my organization?

At this stage, we have not fully utilized its capability for securing hybrid work and protecting data on company and BYO devices. We are still growing. We have been managing our security manually through the security portal and through Azure Security. Intune can provide an additional level of management capability by bringing all of the external services into one management console. It is going to make managing our security posture a little bit easier.

Intune has not yet affected IT productivity in our organization, but it will. Once we start bringing on the remote support capabilities and we are fully compliant in terms of touch management and minimum touch levels, it is going to ease up a lot more. There will be more time and resources for us to look at the other features and capabilities.

Intune has helped to reduce the risk of security breaches in our organization, and that is purely due to its patch management at this stage.

Intune has saved us costs. As it is bundled with our enterprise agreement or enterprise subscription, we have not had to look at additional products. I am still hoping to convince our business that maybe Absolute is not needed if we can manage things with Intune. As we are still relatively young and immature in that area, we might need to look at alternate products to bolt onto it, so we have not yet had any direct savings. We have possibly had indirect savings.

Based on the bit of work or research that I have done, it seems to fit our needs. When you are looking at some of its tracking and management capabilities versus Absolute, it just does not go that one step further where Absolute would go with the recovery service for Precision laptops. My users or asset management are asking for the recovery capability on laptops. If they were not asking for that, I would just settle for Intune and provide the lost location and submit those details to enforcement, but they want the recovery service.

Intune has not helped us consolidate vendors because we are pretty much a single vendor. We have only got the Microsoft ecosystem. We are busy decommissioning our on-prem System Center setup, and we are moving to Intune on the cloud. It is integrated fully with AAD. We do not want to run infrastructure in South Africa. Because of the load shedding and electricity problems that we have here, we would rather use the cloud.

In the context of our journey to the cloud, it is important for us that the capabilities of the Intune Suite are integrated with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Security for both cloud and co-managed devices. It would not have been attractive if it was not.

What is most valuable?

It is quite easy to manage. From what I have seen, it is very easy to check through. It is very basic. I do not need to be a rocket scientist to manage it. It takes a little bit of experience to set it up if you have never done it before. From a manageability point of view and ease of use, I would give it an eight out of ten rating.

It is quite policy-enabled, so you can build pretty much any policy to manage remote endpoints.

What needs improvement?

There could be more wizard-driven policy development or creation. Some of the policies can get quite complex. If they have a wizard that assists the administrators in creating the policy, that will be a great job.

Microsoft South Africa should improve their support for Intune in terms of turnaround time.

For how long have I used the solution?

We started using it in about October 2022. It has been about a year and four months.

How are customer service and support?

Microsoft South Africa could certainly improve on their support of it in terms of the implementation experience and completion of the project. This project has been going on for a year and four months already, but it should have been completed in six months. There are just too many clients looking at it, and there are not enough Microsoft support engineers for Intune.

We have one assigned Microsoft resource. We have got a unified support contract. They have only one support person to deal with multiple clients within our area, and if he is not available, we just wait.

If we had confident and good support from Microsoft, we probably could have cut the project time by 50%. We probably would already be finished and have 100% PCs fully compliant with Intune. 

I would rate their support a four out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We are busy migrating from Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager and Endpoint Manager because of the infrastructure requirements. We want to be on the cloud.

We are a key government department that looks after and advises 13 other departments. They are rolling up Intune to those 13 departments.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It comes as a bundle, so you do not really know what the prices are. Microsoft does not break it down to the user cost for us. It is just bundled with our E5 license.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did not evaluate other solutions because Intune was a part of our subscription.

What other advice do I have?

My advice would be to make certain that you have the relevant in-house capability so that if you are working with Microsoft, you are able to cross-skill with Microsoft. If you do not have that and you are going to fully rely on Microsoft to assist you with deploying it, then make certain that you go into your project with your eyes wide open in terms of timing. The product is good. The scoping of the project is good, but the turnaround time is an issue. There is a lot of improvement required at Microsoft's end. The easier they make the policy creation within Intune with the wizard-driven process, the easier it will be for the internal administrators to implement it. If you remove your reliance on Microsoft, you can run a good product.

We do not use the feature called Tunnel for MAM to provide remote access to corporate resources on mobile devices. We do use Teams as a support or email support tool. We have a very small department, so that is sufficient. We would not migrate it to Intune.

We are not using Intune's Endpoint Privilege Management feature. At this stage, we are using Azure privileged management as the primary means of control. If it makes sense, we will get to it. It is not the first one on the list of things that we have got to do at the moment. We are on a zero-trust journey. If it is going to be one of the tick boxes, we will get to that.

Based on what I have seen of the product and its capabilities, I would rate Intune a seven out of ten. There are some issues that need to be dealt with, especially with the integration with Microsoft Defender Endpoint. Most definitely, the level of support and Microsoft resource capability is where I would mark it down.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Amel Benali - PeerSpot reviewer
Head of Technology at a manufacturing company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Streamlines device management, enhances security and improves IT productivity through its features
Pros and Cons
    • "It would be beneficial to have a more straightforward understanding of Intune's capabilities, presented in a simplified manner."

    What is our primary use case?

    It serves as our EDM, enabling remote computer management. We install various applications directly for users, granting us administrator-level control over the computers.

    We utilize it exclusively within the IT department to manage all hardware from a single location.

    How has it helped my organization?

    It consolidates all endpoint and security management tools into a single platform. This allows us to efficiently determine the required applications for each employee. Having Azure Active Directory integrated into the complete environment further simplifies the process. Additionally, its compatibility with Android-based devices is a significant advantage, enabling the management of both Windows PCs and Android devices from a unified platform.

    It offers complete visibility and IT control across various device platforms, saving us a significant amount of time. The alternative, handling devices individually each time there's a change in employee or any other scenario, is much more time-consuming.

    When it comes to the user experience of Intune, the initial setup is quite straightforward, but delving deeper into its functionalities demands additional training and familiarity. This complexity can be considered a drawback. The policies that can be configured sometimes lack clarity, and understanding the limitations for users who aren't global admins can be unclear.

    We don't utilize the MAM tunnel feature for remote access to corporate resources. Instead, we rely on TeamViewer for remote support when dealing with any issues.

    It significantly enhanced our organization's efficiency, particularly in terms of time savings. While I don't have the specific numbers at the moment, the impact was substantial. Especially when we operated with a small IT team, the investment in the license cost was undoubtedly worthwhile.

    In terms of securing hybrid work environments and safeguarding data on company and personal devices, there's flexibility to fine-tune policies for preventing certain actions. Currently, our approach restricts employees from installing unauthorized software, acting as a deterrent to Shadow IT. However, we haven't explored the full spectrum of possibilities with policies to uncover additional security measures.

    The impact of Intune on the organization's security is essentially a peace of mind for me. If there's ever a report of a stolen computer, I can swiftly lock it without much concern. The speed at which this can be done is particularly reassuring, especially in the current landscape of hybrid work where such incidents tend to occur more frequently than before.

    It has significantly impacted IT productivity in our organization. Onboarding and offboarding processes have become much faster. Simply Intuning the device and managing it through the internal portal or even within the VPN network streamlines the workflow. This is especially beneficial since our company supports hybrid work, extending flexibility to the IT staff as well. Inventory management has also seen a notable improvement, with less time spent. Now, we not only have a count of devices but also know which accounts they are associated with. Compared to our previous reliance on paper and Excel, this is a whole new level of efficiency. Overall, it has been an extremely positive experience for us.

    While it's challenging to directly quantify cost savings, Microsoft Intune has certainly resulted in significant time savings for our organization. As we didn't have a comparable system before, it wasn't a matter of moving from something else to Intune. However, the investment has proven valuable, especially evident in the offboarding process. Previously taking fifteen to twenty minutes per device, it has now been streamlined to just a few clicks, around five minutes. This efficiency has been particularly impressive and has undoubtedly saved us considerable time.

    What is most valuable?

    Its most valuable aspect is the seamless onboarding and offboarding of new users, whether it's for a computer or a mobile device. This process is remarkably straightforward. Additionally, while not explicitly security features, there are safeguards in place that enhance safety. For instance, if a user reports their computer as stolen, you can promptly lock it and erase all data remotely. This means you can secure the hardware even without physical possession of the device. It goes beyond safeguarding just the Microsoft 365 user account; it extends protection to the hardware itself. It also served as a means to efficiently manage our inventory. Through Intune, I could easily access a comprehensive list of all the computers, tablets, and company-owned devices. This streamlined the process of accounting for new devices in our stock, eliminating the need for separate tracking outside of the Intune platform.

    The capabilities of the Intune suite are seamlessly integrated with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Security. This integration, especially with Microsoft 365, is crucial for us as it enables clear visibility into the association of devices with specific employees. Additionally, it facilitates tracking the usage of applications by different groups. The integration with Azure Active Directory further enhances the importance of the overall integration for our operations.

    What needs improvement?

    It would be beneficial to have a more straightforward understanding of Intune's capabilities, presented in a simplified manner. This way, one wouldn't need to be an Intune specialist or spend hours trying to grasp the intricacies of policies and functionalities. While I've used Intune extensively and have practical experience, I've found that to explore its full potential, significant time is needed for both understanding capabilities and seeking out relevant training. The current understanding of what actions or functionalities are available for configuration is not as clear as it could be. Enhancing the clarity of these policies, whether in terms of functionality or features, would be beneficial for users managing Intune.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been working with it for three years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It provides excellent stability. We didn't face any downtime. I would rate it ten out of ten.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Scalability has been excellent. We began with a pilot involving just a few devices and swiftly expanded to over two hundred without experiencing any degradation in performance or functionality. I would rate it ten out of ten.

    How are customer service and support?

    In terms of tech support or customer support, our experience has been somewhat mixed. Since we work with partners rather than directly with Microsoft Intune, and these partners are internal and cross-charged within the same company, there have been instances where support was not entirely satisfactory. This could be attributed to a lack of in-depth understanding on their part. However, it's important to note that they are not directly affiliated with Microsoft, and the level of support might vary accordingly.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was complex.

    What about the implementation team?

    Our setup is hybrid, specifically with Active Directory. The initial configuration necessitated an on-premises presence. However, once the setup is complete, the entire system operates in the cloud, making it predominantly cloud-based after the initial on-premises setup. I was involved in certain aspects of the deployment process. The complexity arose not necessarily from the intricacies of the tasks themselves but from the coordination required. As we lacked global admin privileges, there was a need for extensive collaboration between our team, global admins, and the Intune team at Microsoft.

    In terms of maintenance, once it's up and running, there's not much ongoing effort required. It's essentially a set-and-forget situation. Occasionally, we might need to handle reports and views, especially when there's a new release. In such cases, there might be minor adjustments, like making something visible or invisible, but overall, the maintenance workload is minimal.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    Regarding the pricing, my experience was with a nonprofit, where we enjoyed a substantial discount. While I can't provide insights from a business perspective, it's worth noting that the pricing may differ significantly, and the discount we received might not be reflective of standard business rates.

    What other advice do I have?

    It's advisable to start with a straightforward approach, avoiding unnecessary complexity initially. However, it's equally important to have a well-thought-out plan for maximizing the platform's capabilities. Assign someone the responsibility of owning and creating a roadmap for ongoing improvements and enhancements. The idea is not just to go live and consider the implementation complete; rather, to plan for continuous refinement and utilization of additional features over time. Overall, I would rate it eight out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Hybrid Cloud

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Microsoft Azure
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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    Nathan Piratheepan - PeerSpot reviewer
    Security Executive at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
    Real User
    Top 20
    Streamlines tasks such as deploying applications and managing mobile devices and makes it easy to create security and compliance policies
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable features in Microsoft Intune for me are application deployment, Defender deployment, and asset management."
    • "There is room for improvement in integrating additional features such as Purview and SharePoint activities into Intune."

    What is our primary use case?

    I use Microsoft Intune to manage mobile devices and enforce security policies.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable features in Microsoft Intune for me are application deployment, Defender deployment, and asset management.

    What needs improvement?

    There is room for improvement in integrating additional features such as Purview and SharePoint activities into Intune, which would enhance its functionality.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been working with Microsoft Intune for four years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The stability of Microsoft Intune is quite good.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The solution is very scalable.

    How are customer service and support?

    I would rate the technical support for Intune as a nine out of ten.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We previously used SCCM. We switched to Intune due to its better usability, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with our Microsoft-centric environment, as we predominantly use Windows across the domain.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial deployment of Microsoft Intune was complex as fine-tuning policies took time. We ran a POC for three to six months before deploying to production. Our implementation strategy involved evaluating vendors, cost comparison and prioritizing security features. We opted for Microsoft Intune for its ability to consolidate security telemetry into the Defender portal. Deployment followed a phased approach: POC, small pilot group, then rollout to production. 

    The solution requires maintenance from our side. This includes change management and configuration management to prevent unauthorized changes to policies, as well as constant review of threats from mobile devices. A team of four people is involved in maintaining the solution.

    What about the implementation team?

    We used an integrator for deployment, which was a positive experience.

    What other advice do I have?

    Having all endpoint and security management tools in one place streamlines IT and security operations. It simplifies processes for help desk support, image deployment, and asset management. Transitioning from SCCM to Intune has made tasks like application deployment easier and more efficient.

    Intune provides full endpoint visibility and IT control across devices.

    Intune has significantly improved our IT operations by consolidating management tasks into one portal. This streamlined approach has led to greater efficiency and effectiveness in our operations, as we no longer need to navigate multiple portals for various tasks.

    Overall, I find the user experience of Intune quite positive. It streamlines tasks such as deploying applications and managing mobile devices, which previously required multiple applications. Transitioning endpoints to Intune, including laptops and servers, has been straightforward. Creating security policies and compliance policies is also easier within Intune.

    We use the tunnel feature in Intune for MAM to provide remote access to corporate resources on mobile devices. We integrate Intune with Microsoft E5 Compliance Module for DLP, which helps maintain user privacy while protecting sensitive data.

    Intune is highly effective for security in hybrid work environments, especially for protecting data on both company and BYO devices. All policies, including those for MDM and BYOD, are managed through Intune, ensuring consistent enforcement. Additionally, Intune offers features like allowing BYOD devices to access corporate data while restricting downloads or uploads, enhancing security without compromising productivity.

    Intune's utilization of Microsoft security signals enhances our organization's security by providing visibility into Defender, MDM, Nathan, DLP, and other aspects. While there is a separate Defender portal, Intune allows access to certain features, offering comprehensive security management within a unified platform.

    We use the Endpoint Privilege Management feature in Intune to control user access, especially for system admin accounts. This helps improve security by limiting the visibility of passwords and enforcing password rotations. Additionally, role-based access is managed through Intune, enhancing security without hindering productivity.

    Endpoint Privilege Management helps reduce our organization's attack surface by providing greater visibility into account usage and usability. Previously, we lacked this visibility, but now we can grant engineers precise roles and responsibilities through privileged access management. Additionally, just-in-time access limits privileges to a small window of time, minimizing the risk of prolonged access.

    Intune has positively affected IT productivity in our organization. It offers easy deployment, a user-friendly portal accessible both on and off the network with the right MFA, and consolidates all features, policies, and tools under one portal. This integration has increased efficiency as we no longer need to navigate multiple portals for different tasks, such as SCCM or image deployment.

    Overall, Intune has helped reduce the risk of security breaches in our organization. Reducing privileges on accounts limits the impact of potential breaches. Additionally, with real-time data provided through Intune and Defender, we have better endpoint protection, further enhancing our security posture.

    Intune has helped our organization save costs by being cheaper than purchasing SCCM licenses and other licenses. We estimated it to be at least 50% cheaper than our previous budget for similar solutions.

    By using Intune, we have consolidated vendors by removing SCCM and Endpoint Protection from our portfolio. Defender now serves as our primary endpoint protection solution, streamlining our vendor management. The consolidation of vendors by using Microsoft Intune has not affected our security posture negatively. It has improved effectiveness, although we removed two security vendors from our portfolio, our footprint with Microsoft increased, balancing the impact. It didn't affect our licensing costs. In fact, we saved money as the cost of Intune was lower than what we were paying for the mobile line and SCCM.

    The integration of Intune suite capabilities with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Security is crucial in our journey to the cloud. Both aspects, cloud management, and security, are equally important in our strategy.

    Overall, I would rate Microsoft Intune as a nine out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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    PeerSpot user
    Joel Amate - PeerSpot reviewer
    Project Engineer at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
    Real User
    Top 5
    Affordable, secures all devices, and helps users to access corporate resources from anywhere
    Pros and Cons
    • "Based on my experience, I find Intune very flexible for managing Windows devices. We can use scripting, and we can make use of the self-service portal or the company portal to publish some of the applications for Windows."
    • "I'd suggest adding more features for macOS in Intune. There should be more functionality for managing macOS. There should be a better capability for pushing things down on macOS. Currently, Intune is not capable of managing macOS at the same level as Windows."

    What is our primary use case?

    We are currently using Intune, and we are also deploying it for customers. We use Intune to manage our mobile devices. We manage our Android and iOS devices with it, and at the same time, we also use Intune to manage our macOS and Windows devices.

    During the pandemic, there were devices that we couldn't control. For example, we wanted to manage BYOD and make sure that they are secured so that when they access our corporate resources, our data, computers, users, and mobile devices are protected. We use Intune to publish some of our company applications and at the same time push down our restriction policy and configuration profiles, such as VPN.

    How has it helped my organization?

    We are a vendor, and we deploy the Intune solution. We see that our clients have benefited from this solution. They're able to manage devices that were previously not managed. They are able to secure those devices. It also improves the productivity of the users. They can work from wherever they are and leverage their own devices to access company resources. So, productivity-wise, users are more productive when it comes to Intune.

    What is most valuable?

    Based on my experience, I find Intune very flexible for managing Windows devices. We can use scripting, and we can make use of the self-service portal or the company portal to publish some of the applications for Windows.

    What needs improvement?

    I'd suggest adding more features for macOS in Intune. There should be more functionality for managing macOS. There should be a better capability for pushing things down on macOS. Currently, Intune is not capable of managing macOS at the same level as Windows.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    It has been four years since I've been using Intune.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I'd rate it an eight out of ten in terms of stability because it sometimes breaks. That's mainly because Windows OS keeps on changing because of upgrades and things like that, and there are some instances where it's not supported, or it has not been tested fully on a specific version of OS.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We haven't yet gone down to the scalability part. It meets the needs of our customers. What they have right now in the cloud is sufficient and satisfies the requirements. So, scalability is not a problem.

    Some of the deployments are done across sites, so there are multiple sites.

    How are customer service and support?

    I have interacted with their support. I'd rate them a ten out of ten.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We have previously used MobileIron and Jamf Pro.

    How was the initial setup?

    The deployment model for Intune is cloud basically, but for other MDM solutions, it's on-prem because the government and healthcare sectors prefer to use the on-prem solution.

    The deployment duration depends on the project timeline and the complexity of the deployment. A fresh Intune deployment is straightforward. We just need to do the configuration and create configuration profiles. For example, for Windows OS, we can enroll 1,000 devices in a month or something like that depending on the availability of the machine. Everything is configured in the backend, so they just need to power on the device, and everything works as expected, and everything is pushed down.

    The number of people required depends on how many machines need to be deployed and users' availability. The model that we're having right now is that for a new device, it's straightaway delivered to the user. So, there is no involvement of IT because it's an autopilot deployment. When a user powers on a device, the configuration kicks in. The users just log in using their user accounts, and that's all. So, one IT person is enough to configure the backend.

    What about the implementation team?

    We implement it in-house. It does require some maintenance, but that's taken care of by another party.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    It's affordable. It's cheaper if you have an Office 365, E5, or E3 subscription because everything is there.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    I evaluated VMware Workspace ONE, which is similar to Intune. They both can manage multiple OSs. 

    What other advice do I have?

    While evaluating, I'd advise evaluating each and every feature of Intune and using multiple operating systems, such as Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS. You should see the capabilities of Intune and also check how to integrate Intune with other solutions. For example, for security, there is endpoint protection, etc. You need to check that because one of the requirements is to make sure that the computers and the mobile devices are secure, but Intune cannot secure your device itself. It's just an MDM solution. It only restricts some of the functionality. It cannot do more in terms of security. You need another solution to secure your devices, and you must check that your security solution can be integrated with Intune.

    I'd rate Intune an eight out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Private Cloud
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Enterprise Computing Services Manager at a government with 10,001+ employees
    Real User
    Helpful in securing and managing devices, simplifying operations, and eliminating a lot of paperwork
    Pros and Cons
    • "Its security is most valuable. It gives us a way to secure devices, not only those that are steady. We do have a few tablets and other devices, and it is a way for us to secure these devices and manage them. We know they're out there and what's their status. We can manage their life cycle and verify that they're updated properly."
    • "It doesn't economize when you scale up. We have over 14,000 employees, and we have between 7,500 and 8,000 city-owned or personal devices being used to conduct city business. Its price can be improved. It is not a cheap solution."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use it to a small extent for approximately 1,100 devices. The biggest portion of it is used in the Aviation department, which is one of our departments. They have invested heavily in some customized software that they've developed in-house. It is put on the devices, and the devices are primarily used by field staff. It's basically a mixture of work order assignment and work order management, as well as record keeping. For example, I could have a technician who is assigned to go and do a preventive maintenance inspection on an HVAC component in one of the terminals. That request or work order is submitted to his device. When he gets there, he scans barcodes for the room he is in and for the piece of equipment that he is working on. So, they track their actual work order, work order status, workloads, and equipment life cycle, and that's all done through Intune.

    How has it helped my organization?

    It helps us in securing devices. It has eliminated a lot of paperwork. It has simplified record-keeping and maintenance of equipment, life cycle management, staff workload, work hours, et cetera. That's the biggest impact on us, and that's also where most of the devices are used.

    What is most valuable?

    Its security is most valuable. It gives us a way to secure devices, not only those that are steady. We do have a few tablets and other devices, and it is a way for us to secure these devices and manage them. We know they're out there and what's their status. We can manage their life cycle and verify that they're updated properly.

    What needs improvement?

    It doesn't economize when you scale up. We have over 14,000 employees, and we have between 7,500 and 8,000 city-owned or personal devices being used to conduct city business. Its price can be improved. It is not a cheap solution.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    It has been years since it was implemented.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Its stability has been fine. We've had no issues at all.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I don't see any issues with it. We currently have only about 1,100 users and licenses for the Intune product. The largest portion or over 50% of usage is by our Aviation department for tracking and managing their work order, workload,  equipment life cycle, etc. Other users are scattered in small numbers throughout a number of departments. 

    Our Parts department also uses it. One thing that's a little bit unique is that they also have these assigned to temporary workers. So, we provide the licenses for a number of temporary workers for the summer or for the winter, and then we take them back and reassign them to somebody else. 

    The other departments mostly use it for educational or small use cases where they think this will be a good fit, and it is the product that is available to them. I've heard nothing bad about it, and I have no problem at all with Intune.

    In terms of future growth, we're currently looking at another product, but that doesn't mean we're going to go with that other product. We're working with a vendor on another solution, and that vendor also has a mobile device management product, but we're not yet ready to go there.

    How are customer service and support?

    I've no direct input on it. Right now, we're on unified support, but we've always had their premier support. If we ever have a problem with any of our Microsoft products, including Intune, we do have a way to reach out and get additional assistance.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I'm not aware of any other solution being used. I know there were one or possibly two failed mobile device management project implementations. I was not a member of the department then, so I don't know the details. I only know that both of the deployments failed. In other words, either the vendor promises were not met, or we found a function that was supposed to exist but did not exist. 

    How was the initial setup?

    It was pretty straightforward. It was not a very long, complex, and involved process. It was fairly easy to set up.

    What about the implementation team?

    It was done in-house. For its maintenance, we have no one dedicated to it. Our client computing side takes care of that.

    What was our ROI?

    I've never tried to quantify an ROI for the program. We have just a small number of devices. At some point, we will look at implementing large-scale mobile device management, and that'll be a different case where we may look at Intune, Workspace ONE, or another product.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    It is not a cheap solution. The price for a device when you start using it at a large scale can be improved.

    It is covered under our enterprise agreement. We pay once a year. I am not aware of any additional costs.

    What other advice do I have?

    It meets the basic security needs and management needs for most organizations. It allows you to monitor the security of devices and manage those devices if they're organization-owned. It is fairly easy and straightforward to manage. It is not difficult. Some of the other solutions are a little bit more difficult.

    I would rate it an eight out of 10. It meets all the basic needs that most organizations will have for device management and device security. I am not sure if it can provide the required level of security for different business scenarios that require additional security, which means you'd have to run two systems in tandem.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Hybrid Cloud

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Microsoft Azure
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Microsoft Intune Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
    Updated: May 2024
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Microsoft Intune Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.