Microsoft’s New Remote Help Service Adds Support for Android Devices

Cloud Computing

Key takeaways:

  • Microsoft’s August (2308) service release for Intune introduces “Remote Help for Android,” expanding remote IT assistance to Android Enterprise dedicated devices.
  • The feature allows help desk agents to diagnose and resolve technical issues with a user’s desktop and mobile devices.
  • The update also brings AI-powered “Settings insights” to enhance device management, anomaly detection for proactive security, and a device attestation solution for Samsung Galaxy devices.

Microsoft continues to evolve its offerings with the latest August (2308) service release for Microsoft Intune. A notable highlight is the much-anticipated Remote Help for Android support, a cloud-based solution that promises to enhance the way technical issues are diagnosed and resolved.

The Remote help service enables IT admins to remotely diagnose and resolve technical issues with users’ devices in real-time. It’s available as an add-on for the Microsoft Intune Suite and requires a Microsoft Intune Plan 1 license. Up until now, the service was only accessible to Windows users, but it’s now also available on Android Enterprise dedicated devices.

With Remote Help for Android, IT admins can manage and support FLW Android devices as well as track compliance issues. Currently, the service only supports Samsung and Zebra devices enrolled with Android Enterprise Dedicated. Remote Help includes several key capabilities such as secure cloud-based helpdesk-to-device connections, role-based access controls, and unattended access. It also lets administrators gain session insight reports and audit logs to maintain control of all endpoints.

“With Remote Help for Android, you can unlock and control devices for faster fixes, even when the devices are unattended. Role-based access enables admins to assign appropriate levels of control for helpdesk workers. Session reporting and audit logs offer insights to help organizations identify trends, know when to update devices, and keep an eye out for suspicious activity,” Microsoft explained.

Settings insights

Microsoft has also introduced a new AI-powered Settings insights feature to security baselines. It provides valuable insights into configurations that have been adopted by similar businesses. This capability should let IT admins enhance the onboarding experience and implement a higher level of device protection.

Anomaly detection

Additionally, the latest update brings anomaly detection support to improve advanced Endpoint analytics. The feature monitors the health of devices to detect app-based, device-based, and blue-screen anomalies. This approach should make it easier to identify anomalous devices and proactively take steps to mitigate security risks.

Samsung Galaxy mobile device attestation solution

Last but not least, Microsoft has partnered with Samsung to launch a new mobile hardware-backed device attestation solution. The on-device attestation service provides verifiable health checks to help organizations check if their mobile devices have been compromised. It’s available for Intune mobile application management (MAM) protected apps for select Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets.