The principle parts of the Microsoft Intune Suite at the moment are typically out there

At the moment, we’re taking a major step in finishing the supply of performance we promised once we first unveiled the imaginative and prescient for the Microsoft Intune Suite.¹ We’re launching three new options: Microsoft Intune Enterprise Utility Administration, Microsoft Intune Superior Analytics, and Microsoft Cloud PKI. With these additions, the Intune Suite now goes past unified endpoint administration to carry you a complete assortment of superior cross-platform capabilities throughout three core areas: streamlined software safety, safe entry to on-premises and personal cloud sources, and improved troubleshooting and assist. Whereas we’ll proceed so as to add extra performance over time, as we speak’s launch marks “the top of the start,” as the principle parts of the Intune Suite are typically out there this month. As such, let’s take the chance to recap the rules behind the worth and performance of the Intune Suite.

The broad worth of the Intune Suite

Whereas the options of the Intune Suite launched at completely different closing dates, three elementary rules have been there from the start.

First, one place for workloads adjoining to Unified Endpoint Administration. In case you’re at the moment utilizing a mixture of third-party options, the built-in expertise in Microsoft Intune offers safety and effectivity on a number of ranges. First, one unified answer means fewer integrations to handle throughout third events, that means fewer assault vectors for malicious actors. And second, on a deeper degree, the broader Intune proposition (each Intune Suite and Intune) is built-in with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Safety options. This offers a consolidated and seamless expertise for IT professionals with a single pane of glass for end-to-end endpoint administration.

Second, all components of the Intune Suite are able to assist your cloud and AI-enabled future. Intune Suite will assist speed up organizations’ digital transformation to cloud native and simplify their IT operations. Moreover, knowledge from Intune Suite are consolidated with different Intune and safety knowledge, that means full visibility throughout the machine property, informing and bettering rising applied sciences like Microsoft Copilot for Safety. The extra interrelated knowledge that Copilot can use, the extra it may well proactively advise on the subsequent greatest motion.

Lastly, Intune Suite is out there in a single unified plan. So, somewhat than having separate options for distant help, privilege administration, analytics, and extra, these superior options can all be consolidated and simplified into one. This offers worth in two methods: straight, by decreasing the general licensing value, as the price of Intune Suite is lower than buying separate options; and the financial worth of the Intune Suite can be in oblique financial savings: no have to handle separate distributors, practice IT admins on separate instruments, or keep pricey on-premises public key infrastructure (PKI). The Intune Suite makes it simpler for IT admins, decreasing overhead prices.

“With what we get out of Intune Suite, we will get rid of different merchandise that our clients want. It’s now a set of many parts that allow clients who need to consolidate options and lower your expenses.”

—Mattias Melkersen Kalvåg, Mobility and Home windows Administration Guide at MINDCORE, and| Microsoft Licensed Skilled & MVP

From as we speak: A complete suite throughout functions, entry wants, and assist

Let’s get into specifics. For software safety, Enterprise App Administration helps you discover, deploy, and replace your enterprise apps. And Endpoint Privilege Administration permits you to handle elevation guidelines on a per-app foundation in order that even commonplace customers can run permitted privileged apps. Cloud PKI permits you to handle certificates from the cloud in lieu of advanced, on-premises PKI infrastructure. And Microsoft Tunnel for Cell Utility Administration (MAM) is ideal for unenrolled, private cell gadgets, to assist dealer safe entry to line of enterprise apps. Superior Analytics offers you data-rich insights throughout your endpoints. And Distant Assist permits you to view and management your PCs, Mac computer systems, and specialised cell gadgets, proper from the Intune admin middle. Allow us to take every of these three product areas in flip.

Improve endpoint safety with Enterprise App Administration and Endpoint Privilege Administration

Enterprise App Administration offers you a brand new app catalog, permitting you to simply distribute managed apps, but additionally preserve them patched and at all times updated. With this preliminary launch, it is possible for you to to find and deploy extremely well-liked, pre-packaged apps, so that you now not have to scour the Web to search out their set up information, repackage, and add them into Intune. Merely add and deploy the apps straight from their app publishers. You may also enable the apps you belief to self-update, and when a brand new replace is out there, it is only one click on to replace all of your gadgets with that app put in. We’ll repeatedly broaden and enrich the app catalog performance in future releases to additional advance your endpoint safety posture and simplify operations. 

“I’m very enthusiastic about Enterprise App Administration because it’s powered by a powerful app catalog and natively built-in in Intune. This single pane of glass expertise is what we’re all searching for.”

—Niklas Tinner, Microsoft MVP and Senior Endpoint Engineer at baseVISION AG

For extra management over your apps, with Endpoint Privilege Administration, you’ll be able to scope non permanent privilege elevation, primarily based on permitted apps and processes. Then, as a consumer in scope for this coverage, you’ll be able to elevate solely the processes and apps which have been permitted. For instance, customers can solely run a single app for a brief time period as an administrator. In contrast to different approaches that give native admin permissions or nearly limitless scope, you’ll be able to selectively enable a consumer to raise in a one-off situation by requesting Intune admin approval, with out you needing to outline the coverage forward of time.

“Endpoint Privilege Administration gives tight integration into the working system. And the main focus that Microsoft has over solely elevating particular actions and apps versus making you an admin for a time period—that is safety at its greatest, going for the least privileged entry.”

—Michael Mardahl, Cloud Architect at Apento

Cloud PKI and Microsoft Tunnel for MAM powers safe entry

With Cloud PKI, offering each root and issuing Certificates Authorities (CA) within the cloud, you’ll be able to merely arrange a PKI in minutes, handle the certificates lifecycle, scale back the necessity for intensive technical experience and instruments, and reduce the trouble and value of sustaining on-premises infrastructure. As well as, assist for Deliver-Your-Personal CA is out there, permitting you to anchor Intune’s Issuing CA to your individual personal CA. Certificates may be deployed routinely to Intune-managed gadgets for situations reminiscent of authentication to Wi-Fi, VPN, and extra; a contemporary PKI administration choice that works properly to safe entry with Microsoft Entra certificate-based authentication. Within the preliminary launch, Cloud PKI can even work along with your present Lively Listing Certificates Providers for SSL and TLS certificates, however you don’t want to deploy certificates revocation lists, Intune certificates connectors, Community Machine Enrollment Service (NDES) servers, or any reverse proxy infrastructure. You’ll be able to problem, renew, or revoke certificates straight from the Intune admin middle routinely or manually. 

Microsoft Tunnel for MAM helps safe cell entry to your personal sources. Microsoft Tunnel for MAM works equally to Microsoft Tunnel for managed gadgets; nonetheless, with this superior answer, Microsoft Tunnel for MAM works with user-owned (non-enrolled) iOS and Android gadgets. Microsoft Tunnel for MAM offers safe VPN entry on the app degree, for simply the apps and browser (together with Microsoft Edge) your IT admin explicitly authorizes. So, for personally owned gadgets, the consumer can entry permitted apps, with out your organization’s knowledge shifting onto the consumer’s private machine. App safety insurance policies defend the info inside the apps, stopping unauthorized knowledge leakage to different apps or cloud storage areas.

“Cloud PKI inside the Intune Suite permits you to go cloud native by way of certificates deployment, which suggests you’ll be able to provision PKIs with just some clicks—that’s a blessing for all of the IT directors. With this built-in service, Microsoft hosts every thing so that you can handle certificates.”  

—Niklas Tinner

Resolve assist points faster with Superior Analytics and Distant Assist

Superior Analytics in Intune is a robust set of instruments for actionable reporting and AI-driven analytics. It offers deep, close to real-time insights into your related gadgets and managed apps that show you how to perceive, anticipate, and proactively enhance the consumer expertise. We proceed to infuse AI and machine studying into our analytics merchandise. For instance, you may get forward of battery degradation in your machine fleet by means of our superior statistical evaluation and use that data to prioritize {hardware} updates. Intune Suite now contains real-time machine querying on-demand utilizing Kusto Question Language for particular person gadgets, helpful for troubleshooting and resolving assist calls faster.

With Distant Assist, you can even streamline the way in which you remotely view and work together along with your managed gadgets, for each user-requested or unattended classes. As a assist desk technician, you’ll be able to securely connect with each enrolled and unenrolled gadgets. Customers even have peace of thoughts in with the ability to validate the technician’s identification, to keep away from assist desk spoofing makes an attempt. Proper now, Distant Assist works for distant viewing and controlling in Home windows PCs and Android devoted Enterprise gadgets, and helps distant viewing for macOS. Particularly helpful for frontline staff, Distant Assist for Android permits assist desk directors to configure and troubleshoot unattended gadgets, that means points may be revolved off-shift.

“Distant Assist takes away the requirement and the necessity for third-party distant assist instruments. Distant Assistance is native, it’s interactive, and also you don’t have to fret about putting in something, it’s already there. It’s a part of Intune, it’s a part of the construct.”

—Matthew Czarnoch, Cloud and Infrastructure Operations Supervisor at RLS (Registration and Licensing Providers)

To see many of those new capabilities in motion, we invite you to observe this new Microsoft Mechanics video.

Analyst recognition for Microsoft

With the additions to the Intune Suite now out there, IT can energy a safer and productive future at an essential time as AI comes on-line. Notably, analyst recognition is validating the significance of its worth. For instance, Microsoft once more assumes the strongest management place within the Omdia Universe: Digital Workspace Administration and Unified Endpoint Administration Platforms 2024. Omdia wrote: “Microsoft is targeted on decreasing administration prices by using the Microsoft Intune Suite and integrating completely different options with it.” They added: “The corporate plans to spend money on Endpoint Analytics and Safety Copilot to introduce data-driven administration, serving to IT professionals shift from reactive, repetitive duties to strategic ones by using Endpoint Analytics and automation.” Omdia’s recognition follows that from others like Forrester, who named Microsoft as a Chief in The Forrester Wave™ for Unified Endpoint Administration, Q4 2023.

Get began with consolidated endpoint administration options with the Microsoft Intune Suite

The February 2024 launch of the options within the Intune Suite marks a key milestone, providing a consolidated, complete answer set collectively in a cheap bundle (and out there as particular person add-on options) for any plan that features Intune. And in April 2024, they can even be out there to organizations and companies of the US authorities neighborhood cloud. We look ahead to listening to your reactions to the brand new Intune Suite.

To be taught extra about Microsoft Safety options, go to our web site. Bookmark the Safety weblog to maintain up with our knowledgeable protection on safety issues. Additionally, comply with us on LinkedIn (Microsoft Safety) and X (@MSFTSecurity) for the newest information and updates on cybersecurity.

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¹Ease the burden of managing and defending endpoints with Microsoft superior options, Dilip Radhakrishnan and Gideon Bibliowicz. April 5, 2022.

The Forrester Wave™ is copyrighted by Forrester Analysis, Inc. Forrester and Forrester Wave™ are emblems of Forrester Analysis, Inc. The Forrester Wave™ is a graphical illustration of Forrester’s name on a market and is plotted utilizing an in depth spreadsheet with uncovered scores, weightings, and feedback. Forrester doesn’t endorse any vendor, product, or service depicted within the Forrester Wave™. Info is predicated on greatest out there sources. Opinions replicate judgment on the time and are topic to alter.

The Forrester Wave™: Unified Endpoint Administration, Q4 2023, Andrew Hewitt, Glen O’Donnell, Angela Lozada, Rachel Birrell. November 19, 2023.