Tune up your Mac fleet with Intune

The purpose of this article is to explain to Mac admins what features are possible to achieve using Intune so that they can do their calculation and see if moving away from #JAMF #FileWave or any other MDM tool will be a cost-saving in the long term.

There is a lot that can be done by Intune but if you try to compare feature by feature with any old tools in the market, you'd feel Intune is way behind the time. I think it's all about a vantage point and an open mind. Maybe in a future post, we can talk about the 'Feature to Feature' comparison and see how can you achieve everything that you do using the legacy MDM tools.

Microsoft Intune has significantly evolved over the past five years, becoming a market leader in managing Mac devices. It now offers built-in native controls, allowing comprehensive management of Macs similar to Windows PCs, without the need for third-party integrations. This has reduced complexity and overhead, and increased security, aiding organizations in achieving their Zero Trust goals.

In the last year alone, the number of Windows, Android, and iOS devices protected by Intune grew by 60%. Intune now supports a wide array of macOS app types and uses data science and AI to further data-driven capabilities like intelligent automation and remediation. It has also introduced advanced management capabilities that reduce the total cost of ownership by eliminating the need for adjacent solutions2.

Intune’s growth and development have been recognized by industry analysts. For instance, the Forrester Wave Unified Endpoint Management, Q4 2023 report recognized Intune as a Leader1. This growth and evolution of Intune reflect its commitment to providing robust, efficient, and secure device management solutions.

List of Features:

• Firewall & FileVault: Intune can enforce firewall settings to protect network traffic and use FileVault for disk encryption, ensuring data security on your Mac devices.
• Gatekeeper: With Intune, you can manage Gatekeeper settings to control the installation of apps from outside the App Store, enhancing the security of your Macs.
• Activation Lock: Intune allows you to manage the Activation Lock feature on Macs, providing an additional layer of security against unauthorized use or theft.
• Software Update Policies: Intune can manage software update policies to ensure your Macs are always running the latest and most secure versions of software.
• Local Account Management: Intune's local account management capabilities allow you to control user access and permissions on your Mac devices.
• Device Compliance: Intune can check if your Macs meet your organization's compliance policies and take action if they don't.
• JIT Compliance Remediation: Intune can quickly enforce compliance policies on your Macs when they're detected to be non-compliant.
• Custom Compliance: With Intune, you can define custom compliance policies tailored to your organization's specific needs for your Mac devices.
• ADE with Modern Authentication: Intune supports Apple Device Enrollment (ADE) with modern authentication, simplifying the enrollment process and enhancing security.
• Await Config: Intune can enforce a configuration policy on your Macs before users can access them, ensuring they're properly configured from the start.
• Enrollment SSO: Intune supports single sign-on (SSO) during enrollment, making it easier for users to enroll their Macs.
• Enrollment Time Grouping: With Intune, you can group Macs based on their enrollment time, allowing for more efficient management and policy enforcement.
• Platform SSO: Intune supports Platform Single Sign-On (SSO), simplifying the login process and improving user experience on Mac devices.
• Declarative Device Management: Intune uses Declarative Device Management to enforce policies on Macs, ensuring they're configured according to your organization's standards.
• AAD Single Sign-on Extension: Intune integrates with Azure Active Directory (AAD) for single sign-on, providing seamless access to resources on your Macs.
• LDAP ( On-Prem AD): Intune can interface with Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) for Active Directory (AD), allowing for efficient user and group management on Macs.
• Restrictions Policies: Intune allows you to implement restrictions policies on your Macs, controlling what users can and cannot do on their devices.
• Custom Policy via 3rd Party Apps: Intune supports custom policies, including those from iMazing and Apple Configurator (AC), for more granular control over your Macs.
• Passcode Policies: Intune can enforce passcode policies on your Macs, ensuring that devices are protected by strong, secure passcodes.
• Software Update Settings: Intune allows you to manage software update settings on your Macs, ensuring they're always running the latest, most secure software versions.
• Enterprise Certificates / PKI: Intune supports enterprise certificates and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), providing secure, encrypted communication for your Macs.
• Network Configuration / Proxy Server: Intune can manage network configurations and proxy server settings on your Macs, ensuring they're correctly connected to your network.
• Login Window: Intune can customize the login window on your Macs, providing a consistent and branded experience for your users.
• Managed Login Items: With Intune, you can manage login items on your Macs, controlling which apps and services start-up when users log in.
• DMG, PKG Management: Intune supports the deployment of DMG and PKG files, allowing you to distribute software and updates across your Mac devices.
• VPP and Store App Management: Intune integrates with Apple’s Volume Purchase Program (VPP) and the App Store, enabling you to bulk purchase and manage apps for your Macs.
• Native Integrations for Office Apps: Intune offers native integrations with Office apps, ensuring seamless deployment and management of these critical productivity tools on your Macs.
• Custom Config for Office Apps: With Intune, you can customize the configuration of Office apps according to your organization’s needs, enhancing productivity and user experience.
• Custom Preferences: Intune allows you to set custom preferences on your Macs, providing a tailored user experience and ensuring devices adhere to your organization’s policies.
• Pre- and Post-Install Scripts: Intune supports the execution of scripts before and after software installation, allowing for custom setup and configuration on your Macs.
• User / Root Scripts with Schedules: Intune can schedule and execute scripts as either the user or root, providing flexibility in device management and maintenance.
• All Interpreters for Scripts: Intune supports all script interpreters, allowing you to use the scripting language of your choice for device management tasks.
• Custom Attribute Collection: Intune can collect custom attributes from your Macs, providing valuable insights and data for device management.
• Settings Catalog: Intune’s settings catalog allows you to browse and configure a wide range of settings on your Macs, simplifying device management.
• MDM Device Actions: Intune supports Mobile Device Management (MDM) actions, allowing you to remotely manage and control your Mac devices.
• Content Caching: Intune can manage content caching on your Macs, optimizing network usage and improving performance when accessing shared content.

Hope this article explains the possibilities of what can be done using Intune and will help you in making the right decision.

Feel free to write me on Linkedin in case you want to discuss more or get a better understanding of how to cut costs by managing Macs in a better way.

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