What can Intune do for my company?

The use of mobile devices is becoming standard in business. Smartphones and tablets have taken their place as tools your employees want to use. Whether for communication or collaboration, expect people to have mobile devices at hand. To make this work, your business needs mobile device management, that’s where Microsoft Intune can help.

More work is getting done in the cloud, especially with more people working remotely. Employees want to be able to access the same applications and data they’d get on a desktop or laptop, right there on the device in their hands, wherever they may be.

This presents a security challenge. When all devices connecting to a work environment are on-site, it’s easier to control the connections. The business could put “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) policies in place to control:

• what devices employees use to connect;
• how much access they have when connecting;
• what applications they can use on devices connected to the business network.

And, most important of all:

• the ability to remove company owned data should the employee leave.

Still, mobile device management software can benefit your business. You’ll be able to reduce IT workload, improve experience, enable greater efficiency, and reduce risk.

Cloud-based Mobile Device Management with Intune

Microsoft Intune offers cloud-based mobile device management (MDM). This enterprise security offering combines MDM and mobile application management (MAM).

In a use case, Accenture used Intune’s MDM to enforce mobile device encryption and use of a PIN. MAM helped secure the Microsoft Office suite, without having to control employee devices.

Intune allows users to access critical business data and applications on any mobile device. Intune provides a unified way to securely manage Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS devices.

Further, Intune streamlines and automates deployment, provisioning, policy management, app delivery, and updates. Plus, the globally distributed cloud service architecture is highly scalable.

This helps your IT team support the diverse mobile ecosystem more efficiently. There’s no need to set up each device individually, as the software deploys across all devices at once. IT can track licenses, rollout updates, and get hardware configuration and software installation information, all in one place and without having to buy any added infrastructure. Meanwhile, employees can move between mobile devices and desktops without jeopardizing company security.

Your business might ask employees to enroll any devices they use to access Office 365 data, yet there may still be devices you don’t know about or that your partners are using to access your important data. Intune provides you with precise control. You can specify what data different users can access. You can also say what they can do with the data within Office and other mobile apps.

Boosting Cybersecurity Protection with Intune

Intune’s integration with Azure directory also allows the business to enforce access policies. You might limit access based on user, location, device state, or app sensitivity. Powerful AI and machine learning also helps to proactively protect the business environment. Integrating Intune and Microsoft Defender helps prevent and limit the impact of a security breach.

Your business can review and establish security policy and configuration setting baselines. It’s also easier to meet legal and company cybersecurity requirements. Data protection, encryption, and anti-malware are all done in the admin console.

At the same time, you avoid intruding on users’ personal devices. Contextual controls can distinguish between business and personal use of apps.

Improve cybersecurity resilience and support employee productivity on mobile devices. Intune allows you to track devices, manage policies, ensure updates, and protect data, all from one location.

Intune is included in certain Enterprise Mobility and Security subscriptions. Contact us today to learn more about this solution. Learn how it suits your mobile device management and mobile access management needs.

If your business handles sensitive data, you don’t want it getting into the wrong hands. Least of all because one of your employees isn’t following the information security policies you’ve worked so hard on, or if their device is lost, stolen or hacked.

In a world of remote working and blurring of our work and personal lives, protecting your business data has never been so critical. Microsoft Intune is just one service which can give you that extra peace of mind that your information is safe with all of your employees.

What is Microsoft Intune?

Microsoft Intune is a service that allows businesses to control how their devices, and the applications on them, are used. It is a cloud-based service focusing on both mobile device management (or MDM) and mobile application management (or MAM). 

Microsoft Intune is part of Microsoft’s EMS (Enterprise Mobility and Security) suite. This means it integrates with other Microsoft products your business might use, such as Microsoft 365, Teams and Azure – Microsoft’s cloud platform – to keep all of your information protected.

How does Microsoft Intune work?

Microsoft Intune allows you to manage devices used by employees in your business. Via the cloud, devices that are ‘enrolled’ in Intune can be controlled by the company. This means you can set the rules for how the device is used; from password requirements and threat protection through to app management and access to company data on that device.

Even if you don’t require a device to be enrolled – some users would find this level of control over their personal devices alarming – you can still safeguard data without managing the device. You can still set password requirements, for example, on non-enrolled devices.

Microsoft Intune capabilities

Microsoft Intune gives businesses the capability to:

• Allow a bring your own device (BYOD) policy. Microsoft Intune can be deployed onto personal devices used for work purposes to ensure business data is protected.
• Manage access to data and networks. Configure security settings – such as not allowing a device to be connected to an unsecured network – to protect your data.
• Set and enforce additional security standards. Require users to consistently follow data security guidelines such as multi-factor authentication on their devices.
• Remove organisational data remotely. Intune allows you to wipe company data from a device remotely if it is lost, stolen, or simply not used anymore.
• Have visibility over devices your business uses. Intune allows you to see all devices enrolled and able to access company resources, giving you an inventory.
• Configure apps on user devices. For example, add and assign apps to users, configure app settings and automatically update apps on relevant devices.
• Track usage analytics for business use. See reports on which apps are being used by your employees and track their usage to ensure compliance.

Implement additional protection policies. Intune allows you to control how users share information. For example, you can prevent emails being sent to users outside of your business on the device managed by Intune. These policies can be customised based on user, location and real-time risk to ensure data stays protected.

Benefits of Microsoft Intune

Microsoft Intune exists as a security measure. The largest benefits of Microsoft Intune are all around how it allows you to ensure all employees are able to keep information safe and secure. It makes compliance with your data security policies compulsory – you can set protocols so that a user cannot use their device without following the rules.

Other benefits of implementing Microsoft Intune as part of your digital transformation include:

• Adaptability: Intune is compatible with all devices and operating systems, including Windows, iOS and Android.

• Diversity: Intune can be beneficial to all sorts of professional fields that handle sensitive data, from IT professionals to schools and governments. 

• Flexibility: As any device can be managed, using Intune gives ultimate flexibility to you and your business – allowing people to work from anywhere, at any time.

• Security: Using Intune means all apps and devices, and therefore staff, comply with your security requirements to keep all of your business data safe.

• Scalability: Once implemented, Intune can grow with your business and seamlessly provide updates and support as your team grows. You won’t outgrow Intune.
• Productivity: You can keep on providing the Microsoft experience your employees need to do their jobs with more security without compromising their productivity.

Microsoft Intune gives you the power of security, completely in your control. You can ensure work and personal data are kept safe, secure and separate through the mobile device management and mobile application management principles on which Intune is built. 

How can Intune add value to your business?

Microsoft Intune allows you to manage how devices are used by employees in your business, protecting your data and ensuring maximum compliance to security measures. 

This gives both you and your employees more freedom. Knowing that your data is protected wherever your employees are located, allows for more effective and secure remote working. Employees can have the same access to the tools they need to do their job even when they’re not in the office, and you get the security that your data is not in any additional danger.

About EC-MSP, your IT support partner

EC-MSP are one of the most trusted IT support providers in London. If you would like more help advice and support with technology for your business, contact us today to see how we can help.

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