Simplifying Intune Rollouts: Minimizing Risk and Downtime

As organizations struggle to find a new balance between expanding remote work options and repatriation back to the office, endpoint management has become a top issue. And with the growing risk of cyberthreats becoming more tangible every day – effective endpoint management is essential to ensure security and compliance.

Unified Endpoint Management

Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) solutions allow organizations to manage, monitor, secure, and ensure compliance remotely and through a single-pane-of-glass. UEMs inherently allow for:

• better access to talent through remote-work options
• reduction of operational expenditure (OPEX) spend due to time and money saved on costly onsite upgrades, patches, updates, etc.
• and increased productivity through collaborative solutions leveraged on a UEM framework.

Microsoft Intune

Although there is a range of existing UEM solutions on the market, most companies don’t realize that their existing Microsoft 365 licenses can provide an embedded and native UEM solution – Intune.

From enrollment issues and operating system (OS) inconsistencies to policy conflicts, deploying Intune can quickly become a drain on internal resources. The good news? With proper planning and expertise, organizations can navigate these challenges effectively.

3 key technical areas to review before deploying Microsoft Intune

Before diving into an Intune deployment, organizations must carefully evaluate several technical factors that will impact implementation success:

First, analyze your device management infrastructure. Will Intune be your primary Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution to unify all your endpoints for ease of management for automation and compliance? In its current state, with support from all OS platforms (Windows, ChromeOS, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux), it’s almost a no-brainer move to consolidate or migrate to Intune. With Windows AutoPilot, gone are the days of the traditional imaging of a PC that’s synced via PXE to System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), Windows Deployment Services, Symantec Ghost, or manually configuring each device one by one.

Second, evaluate your Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) topology. Intune relies heavily on Entra ID for identity management, Conditional Access enforcement, and device registration. Verify your tenant configuration, synchronization health, and authentication methods to support modern management requirements. For those leveraging Hybrid-Cloud, all the benefits will still be applicable – the initial work requires verifying that Entra ID Connect is operational, but it will let you access the full suite.

Third, understand the cybersecurity risks that your organization’s devices and users are vulnerable to without the proper endpoint management. With all the different AI tools available today, data governance is key – things to consider include Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD) devices from users and now Bring Your Own AI (BYOAI). There are different vulnerabilities that you need to consider to protect your environment and ensure it is protected at the most foundational piece, the device level.

Implementation readiness assessment

A thorough technical assessment of your current environment is essential before proceeding with an Intune rollout. It is key as a technical leader of your organization to facilitate an in-depth technical assessment annually, to understand the current device inventory, health of the infrastructure, and vulnerabilities you can be exposed to. Bring your team together to evaluate the following:

Device inventory evaluation: When was the last time you conducted a comprehensive assessment of your IT environment? When utilizing tools like an MDM or Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM), reports can be accessible with the right scripts to query the data we need, or third-party asset management solutions to generate detailed hardware and software inventories. When strictly on-premises with Active Directory (AD) in local or Hybrid-Cloud capacity, we can leverage running a Group Policy Object (GPO) to query this data to pull the registered devices locally or in Entra ID. Be sure you pull and review the “Join-Type” of the devices: Local Domain Joined, Entra Registered, Entra-Hybrid Joined, and Entra Joined – for this will distinguish and identify which devices are associated with corporate fleet, BYOD, Cloud devices, Hybrid, and local. It’s also an opportunity to sanitize and review the potential devices that may’ve been a threat to your tenant.

Device roadmap alignment: Are all current devices within your corporate fleet aligned with your future technology plan?

• For Windows devices:
  • To use Microsoft Intune with Windows devices, the operating system must be Windows 10 (version 1709 or later) or Windows 11, and it must be a Pro, Enterprise, or Education edition. Home editions of Windows 10 and 11 are not supported for Intune management.
  • From a hardware perspective, the device must meet the minimum requirements for the respective operating system to enable and utilize Windows Autopilot – TPM 2.0, and Secure Boot enabled.
• For mobile devices: Is our infrastructure properly supporting iOS and Android devices?
  • Apple Business Manager and Android Enterprise Management (Google Play for Business) must be configured and synced to Intune to support these devices for security and compliance.

A readiness assessment is important with a plethora of policies and profiles to configure to support BYOD devices that are leveraging tools such as Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and Company Portal. This secures the environment through Conditional Access Policies, Compliance Policies, and Data Governance through – MAM (Mobile Application Management).

• Infrastructure Review: Can we even support or scale this digital transformation?
• File and Data Repositories:
  • Are we leveraging cloud for data? On-premises file servers, where users need to ensure their VPN or tunneled session to access data, should be gone. With SharePoint, OneDrive, and Azure Files, this will assist with the administration through dynamic assignment for data governance and security, based on specific attributes to query per user and group.  
    
    
• Security and Compliance:
  • Microsoft Purview for Data Governance and Security – review your compliance score as it is relevant and KEY to what your current state is and should assist visioning the future state.
  • Defender is not exclusive Endpoint Security, but security for a cloud ecosystem, Identity, and more. Review your secure score as it is relevant and KEY to where your current state is and should assist visioning the future state.
  • What’s amazing is that Microsoft has Gamified the Compliance and Secure score –  tackling your “Recommended Actions” will boost your score and identify each of the steps you need to take.
    
    
• Licensing:

To use Microsoft Intune, you need a license that includes Microsoft Intune service rights. Intune is available through several Microsoft 365 (M365) plans and standalone options:

License type	Best for	What’s included	Why choose this?
Business Premium	Small to mid-sized organizations (up to approximately 300 users).	Microsoft IntuneMicrosoft Entra ID P1 (formerly Azure Active Directory Premium P1)Microsoft Defender for BusinessThe full Microsoft 365 productivity suite (Office apps, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive)	A complete solution for secure device management, identity protection, endpoint security, and productivity—all under a single, cost-effective license.Ideal for organizations looking to modernize IT without managing complex add-ons, Best bang for your buck.
E3 and E5	Enterprise organizations needing scalability, compliance, and layered security.	E3:Microsoft IntuneMicrosoft Entra ID P1Core Microsoft 365 productivity suiteE5: Advanced security tools like Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2Microsoft Purview Information ProtectionMicrosoft Entra ID P2 (for premium Conditional Access, Identity Governance, and more)	Full Enterprise solutions aligned with best practices and industry standards, giving you the keys to the latest and greatest that Microsoft has to offer.For larger or security-conscious organizations, M365 E3 and E5 combine endpoint management, identity security, productivity, and compliance tools into a unified platform.E5 is ideal for companies adopting a Zero Trust architecture or with heavy compliance requirements (HIPAA, GDPR, CMMC).
Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS) E3 and E5	Organizations that need security and device management without purchasing Microsoft 365 productivity apps.	EMS E3 includes: Microsoft IntuneMicrosoft Entra ID P1   EMS E5 includes everything in E3, plus: Advanced security tools including Microsoft Entra ID P2 and Microsoft Defender for Identity	EMS is ideal if you’re focusing strictly on security, compliance, and endpoint management without changing your existing email or productivity platforms.A great option for hybrid environments or industries requiring a strong security posture without full productivity suite licensing.
Microsoft Intune Standalone Subscription	Organizations looking to manage devices without bundling other Microsoft services.	Core Microsoft Intune functionality (device management, compliance policies, app protection policies) Important note: Microsoft Entra ID P1 or P2 is not included with standalone Intune. You must license identity services separately to enable features like Conditional Access, dynamic groups, or Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR).	Ideal for organizations using another identity platform (or with limited Conditional Access needs) but still wanting to control and secure devices with Microsoft’s MDM.

Is your IT team ready for Intune for deployment

Even with the right technology, successful implementation depends heavily on having the right team with technical expertise. While Microsoft Intune provides powerful capabilities for device management and security, its successful deployment is not plug-and-play. The complexity of integrating Intune into existing infrastructure—across devices, identity, compliance, and user workflows—requires an IT team that is not only technically competent but strategically aligned and operationally prepared.

Resource bandwidth assessment: Before beginning, it’s essential to understand whether your IT team can realistically manage the rollout in tandem with existing responsibilities.

• Most IT teams are already stretched thin managing daily tickets, incidents, and other operational responsibilities. Without sufficient bandwidth, critical deployment steps like policy testing and pilot group validation may be rushed or skipped—leading to user disruption and security gaps.
• Intune implementation involves multiple time-consuming stages—including scoping, policy modeling, testing, phased rollout, and user training. If dedicated time isn’t carved out, progress will stall, or errors will cascade across the environment.
• In many successful rollouts, temporary resources (consultants, engineers, or trainers) were leveraged to provide capacity relief or specialist support. Skipping this consideration often delays timelines and increases long-term support overhead.

Technical capability evaluation:

The technical depth and experience of your team will directly influence deployment success.

• A clearly defined technical lead is critical—this person must have experience architecting MDM/Intune environments and be able to guide design decisions, handle escalations, and ensure alignment with security and compliance standards.
• Most teams will face a skills gap, especially with features like Conditional Access, device compliance policies, Hybrid Entra-ID Connect and zero-touch provisioning. While Microsoft Learn and documentation exist, training under pressure during rollout is often inefficient and error-prone.
• Cookie-cutter templates don’t work—Intune deployments must be architected with your organization’s unique needs in mind: legacy systems, hybrid join scenarios, BYOD considerations, app packaging, and security posture.

Project Management:

Successful deployment hinges on not just on technical setup, but on coordinated execution and communication.

• Divide-and-conquer is essential—breaking the project into tactical workstreams like device enrollment strategy, baseline policy creation, multifactor (MFA) enforcement, and user communication helps avoid bottlenecks.
• Risks must be proactively identified—common pitfalls include unsupported devices (e.g., Windows Home editions), policy conflicts, and user pushback from poor communication or sudden changes.
• Adopting a formal methodology like Kanban or Waterfall ensures accountability and forward momentum. Lack of structure often leads to scope creep, unclear ownership, and stalled implementations.
• Frequent updates, status reports, and checkpoints keep stakeholders aligned and surface blockers early—especially crucial in cross-functional IT teams.

Working with the right partner to deploy Intune

Implementing Microsoft Intune at scale—especially in hybrid or multi-platform environments—is complex. If your internal IT resources lack deep expertise in areas like identity management, endpoint compliance, app packaging, or cross-platform support, working with a trusted partner can dramatically reduce risk, accelerate timelines, and improve overall execution quality.

The right partner doesn’t just “do the work”—they augment your team, bring repeatable best practices, and guide you toward a secure, sustainable management framework for you to be experts in your environment moving forward.

Finding qualified experts:

When evaluating potential partners, it’s essential to go beyond surface-level offerings and look for demonstrated technical depth, real-world experience, and alignment with Microsoft’s ecosystem.

• Prioritize partners with Microsoft Solution Partner designations, particularly in Modern Work, Security, and Infrastructure—these reflect proven capability in delivering Microsoft 365, Intune, Entra ID, and endpoint security projects.
• Ask for metrics that matter:
  • How many Intune deployments have they completed?
  • Do they have experience across both hybrid and cloud-native environments?
  • Can they onboard iOS, Android, macOS, and ChromeOS devices—not just Windows?
  • How much of the deployment can be automated through scripts, templates, and policy-as-code to save your team time going forward?

Validating technical expertise:

Technical credibility is critical. You want to ensure your partner can not only configure Intune but also design an implementation that avoids rework and long-term inefficiencies.

• Review the certifications of their engineering team—Microsoft Certified: Endpoint Administrator Associate, Security Administrator Associate, Enterprise Administrator Expert, and more.
• Ask if they’ll provide a dedicated project manager to drive coordination, status updates, and task delegation—this keeps internal teams focused and aligned.
• Make sure they can proactively identify and mitigate risks (e.g., unsupported devices, app compatibility, policy conflicts) without derailing project outcomes.
• Inquire about the average project timeline and what factors could speed up—or delay—execution. A partner who is transparent about effort and scope will protect you from surprises.

Cost and value considerations:

While budget is always a factor, value goes far beyond a low upfront price. The right partner will work to optimize both your technology spend and operational outcomes.

• Avoid cookie-cutter offerings that don’t reflect your environment’s complexity—customization should be expected, not extra.
• Explore bundled packages that may include Microsoft licensing, post-deployment support, and security services to maximize ROI.
• A true strategic partner will help you find the best balance of cost, speed, and scalability—ensuring you’re not just buying a project, but investing in long-term capability.

Conclusion

Understanding that Microsoft Intune isn’t a simple as a plug-and-play solution, it’s important to have the right competency and capability within an organization to properly deploy, implement, and leverage Microsoft Intune. When internal IT organizational skilling is lacking, leveraging the right partner with the relevant credentials and certifications is paramount in managing risk and maintaining business continuity.

All-in-all, the potential of Intune as a UEM solution to accelerate go-to-market motions, increase organizational productivity, and minimize OPEX spend in key areas like asset disposal, asset monitoring, and asset management can all be achieved with the right preparation and planning with relevant stakeholders.