Microsoft Intune Insight
What Is Microsoft Intune? A Complete Guide for Small and Medium Businesses
Learn what Microsoft Intune does, how device and application management work, what it includes and whether it suits your Australian business.
Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based endpoint-management platform that helps organisations configure, secure and monitor supported devices and applications. It can manage company devices, protect business data on personal devices and provide compliance signals for Microsoft Entra Conditional Access.
What Is Microsoft Intune?
Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based endpoint-management service used to secure and manage an organisation's devices and applications. It can enrol, configure, protect, update and retire supported endpoints while helping control access to business resources.
Intune works with Microsoft Entra ID and Conditional Access. Device and application signals can be used to decide whether a user should be allowed to access Microsoft 365 and other connected services.
What Does Microsoft Intune Do?
Intune supports the lifecycle of managed devices and applications. An organisation can use it from initial enrolment and setup through ongoing maintenance, security monitoring and eventual retirement or wipe.
- Enrol company-owned and eligible personally owned devices.
- Deploy security settings and configuration profiles.
- Install and update supported applications.
- Define device compliance requirements.
- Protect company data inside managed applications.
- Remotely retire, reset or wipe supported devices.
- Report on device inventory, policy status and compliance.
- Automate management through Microsoft Graph where appropriate.
Mobile Device Management vs Mobile Application Management
Intune can manage the whole device, protect only the business applications and their data, or combine both approaches.
| Approach | What is managed | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile device management (MDM) | The enrolled device, its settings, security posture and applications. | Company-owned laptops, desktops, phones and tablets. |
| Mobile application management (MAM) | Supported work applications and the business data inside them. | Personal devices where full device enrolment is not appropriate. |
| MDM and MAM together | The device plus additional application-level data controls. | Higher-control environments and sensitive business information. |
Which Devices Can Microsoft Intune Manage?
Microsoft supports Intune management across a range of platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS and iPadOS, Android and selected Linux scenarios. Available controls differ by platform, device type, operating-system version and enrolment method.
A design should therefore begin with a device inventory. The same policy cannot always be applied identically to every platform.
Benefits of Microsoft Intune for Small and Medium Businesses
Consistent device configuration
Security and operating settings can be applied through policy rather than configured manually on each device.
Faster device provisioning
Intune can support modern provisioning workflows such as Windows Autopilot, reducing hands-on setup for suitable devices.
Improved visibility
Administrators can view managed device inventory, compliance status, application deployments and policy results from a central portal.
Stronger access decisions
Device compliance can be combined with Conditional Access so that sensitive applications are available only from devices meeting defined requirements.
Support for remote work
Because Intune is cloud based, devices can be configured and managed without relying entirely on an office network or traditional on-premises tooling.
Common Microsoft Intune Use Cases
| Use case | Intune capability | Business outcome |
|---|---|---|
| New laptop setup | Enrolment, profiles, apps and Windows Autopilot. | More consistent and repeatable provisioning. |
| Lost or stolen device | Remote lock, retire, reset or wipe where supported. | Reduced exposure of company information. |
| Bring your own device | App protection policies and selective wipe. | Business-data controls without necessarily managing the whole device. |
| Security baselines | Configuration and endpoint-security policies. | Consistent control across managed endpoints. |
| Application rollout | Required, available and uninstall assignments. | Central software deployment and reporting. |
| Access control | Compliance signals integrated with Conditional Access. | Access based on current device posture. |
How to Plan a Microsoft Intune Deployment
1. Discover the environment
- Inventory users, devices, applications and operating systems.
- Identify company-owned, shared and personally owned endpoints.
- Review existing Group Policy, scripts and device-management tools.
- Confirm licensing and administrator responsibilities.
2. Define the management model
- Choose which devices require full enrolment.
- Decide where app protection without enrolment is suitable.
- Design groups, assignment filters and administrative scope.
- Document minimum operating-system and security requirements.
3. Build and test the baseline
- Create enrolment restrictions and platform settings.
- Configure security, compliance and application policies.
- Test with a small, representative pilot group.
- Validate user experience, support processes and rollback options.
4. Roll out in controlled stages
- Communicate changes before enrolment.
- Expand assignments in manageable waves.
- Monitor failures, conflicts and help-desk demand.
- Record exceptions and remediation actions.
5. Operate and improve
- Review compliance, application and policy reports.
- Remove stale devices and obsolete assignments.
- Update policies as operating systems and threats change.
- Test offboarding, wipe and recovery procedures.
Common Microsoft Intune Deployment Mistakes
Deploying too much at once
Applying many security, compliance and application policies simultaneously makes problems difficult to isolate. Use pilot rings and staged deployment.
Copying policies without understanding them
A setting appropriate for one organisation may disrupt another. Every control should have an owner, purpose and documented expected impact.
Ignoring application requirements
Device security policies can conflict with older applications, drivers, peripherals and authentication methods. Test real business workflows.
Using compliance without remediation
Users need clear instructions and a reasonable process for returning a noncompliant device to a healthy state.
Failing to maintain the environment
Intune is not a one-time deployment. Device records, apps, policies, enrolment methods and operating-system support require ongoing review.
Is Microsoft Intune Right for Your Business?
Intune is often a strong fit when a business uses Microsoft 365, has remote or hybrid workers, needs consistent endpoint security, wants modern device provisioning or must control access from unmanaged devices.
It may be less suitable as a standalone answer when the organisation has highly specialised endpoint requirements, an established alternative management platform or no operational capacity to maintain policies and respond to failures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Microsoft Intune only for mobile phones?
No. Intune manages and protects supported laptops, desktops, phones, tablets and applications across multiple operating systems.
Can Intune manage personal devices?
Yes. Depending on the design, personal devices can be enrolled or work data can be protected through app-protection policies without managing the entire device.
Does Intune replace antivirus?
No. Intune is a management platform. It can configure and report on security controls and integrate with Microsoft Defender, but it is not itself a direct replacement for every endpoint-security capability.
Is Intune included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium?
Business Premium includes Intune capabilities for eligible users. Current licensing and advanced-feature requirements should be confirmed before deployment.
How long does an Intune deployment take?
It depends on device numbers, applications, platforms, existing policies and testing requirements. A small controlled deployment can be relatively quick, while a complex migration may require several phases.
Official Microsoft References
Need Help Planning Microsoft Intune?
Fedelta helps Australian businesses design, test and deploy Microsoft Intune, Windows Autopilot, application management, endpoint security and Conditional Access.
Book a consultation