Microsoft Managed Desktop Service to Retire in July 2024

Microsoft is planning to sunset its Microsoft Managed Desktop service next year. The company has quietly updated its support document to indicate that the service will be deprecated on July 31, 2024.

Microsoft Managed Desktop (MMD) is a cloud-based device management service that includes Windows 10/11 Enterprise and Microsoft Office apps. It provides a simplified and streamlined approach to managing the lifecycle of devices in enterprise environments. Microsoft Managed Desktop offers various security features to protect devices, including advanced threat protection and automatic updates. The service also allows IT admins to manage devices remotely, apply policies, and ensure compliance.

“As we enter a new growth phase for managed services at Microsoft, Microsoft Managed Desktop will transition to end-of-life (EOL) on July 31, 2024. We’re committed to working closely with each customer to provide support and guidance to make the transition as smooth as possible,“ Microsoft explained in a support document.

Microsoft Managed Desktop to retain existing configurations

Microsoft notes that organizations that use Microsoft Managed Desktop will retain existing configurations in their computing environments. However, Microsoft’s engineers will no longer be able to address service requests from customers. Additionally, the Microsoft Managed Desktop Security Operations Center will drop support for monitoring and responses. This means that businesses will need to migrate to alternative security solutions instead.

As Microsoft had said very little about Microsoft Managed Desktop since its launch in 2018, it’s no surprise that the service had to go away at some point. Microsoft has promised to help administrators with the transition process in corporate networks. However, the company has yet to suggest any alternative solutions. Let us know in the comments below if you use Microsoft Managed Desktop in your organization.