Historically, application management involved installing software on users' machines. However, many organizations now utilize software-as-a-service models that are accessible through web portals like Intune. We also employ App-V to virtualize legacy applications, allowing access to any physical or virtual machine. Our current methods include direct endpoint installation, SCCM deployment, and App-V server hosting applications. We introduced App-V as a virtual application platform to address challenges like developer environment inconsistencies and license costs. By centralizing applications and implementing a first-come, first-served licensing model, App-V reduces costs, improves accessibility, and simplifies management. Intune consolidates our endpoint and security management tools into a single, user-friendly platform. It seamlessly integrates existing on-premises policies, allowing for easy creation or upload. Organizations migrating to Intune or replacing on-premises Active Directory can effortlessly establish new policies. Unlike the complexities of on-premises management, Intune simplifies policy creation and implementation through a click-based interface, eliminating registry changes. Additionally, Intune's cloud-based architecture ensures consistent policy application across devices, avoiding the delays and potential bandwidth issues associated with on-premises servers. Microsoft's robust infrastructure provides reliable performance, making Intune an efficient and effective solution for managing endpoints and security. Intune users appreciate its flexibility compared to traditional on-premises Active Directory systems. For instance, with on-premises AD, policy implementation requires the user to be physically present in the office. In contrast, Intune enables remote policy management, as demonstrated by the scenario where a user's account is locked on an Intune-managed laptop. Even if the user cannot log in to the device, unlocking the account in Azure AD automatically unlocks it on the laptop, regardless of location. This significantly improved over previous methods involving complex workarounds like sharing local profile passwords. Intune's integration with Azure AD simplifies account management and provides seamless access for remote users. We manage multiple users who use Azure AD and Azure VDI machines but often prefer using the VDI machines over their laptops. To address this, we proactively contact users whose laptops haven't reported to Intune in 20-30 days, informing them of potential removal and providing additional notifications through tools like Nexting or SysTrack. We also send emails to users whose assigned machines are inactive, warning of removal if usage doesn't resume within 30 days. Additionally, we monitor machine downtime, login times, and compliance status while pushing necessary policies and updates. Our organization utilizes a hybrid model combining Intune for machine management and BitLocker encryption with SCCM for software updates due to the ongoing migration from on-premises to cloud-based solutions. While Intune enrollment and management are in place, we anticipate a full transition to Intune in the future. We are using Intune Suites Cloud PKI to assign certificates to users. Previously, we managed Microsoft certificates on a hosted server. This process was manual. However, Intune now automates certificate management. Once a machine connects to Intune and authenticates, the necessary certificates are pushed without manual intervention. VPN login requires both a user and device certificate for compliance. Intune offers certificate management from both Microsoft and third-party vendors. Due to cost considerations, we are transitioning to a different certificate provider within our organization. We have implemented Copilot in Microsoft Teams and Zoom to improve meeting efficiency significantly. Copilot automatically generates meeting minutes, including attendee lists, saving valuable time compared to manual creation. Additionally, it provides real-time meeting summaries, allowing latecomers to grasp discussed topics quickly. By automating these tasks, Copilot frees up approximately half an hour per meeting, enabling us to focus on more productive activities. For IT and security operations, our company has implemented Copilot by hosting all ChatGPT features on-premises. As a financial company, we cannot access external AI tools directly. Therefore, our system interacts with our server rather than the Internet, allowing us to utilize ChatGPT capabilities based on our specific business needs. Intune has significantly improved our device management process. Previously, we had to physically build machines on-site, requiring users to come to the office. Now, we can remotely push updates and assist users from anywhere, saving them time and eliminating the need for travel. Additionally, Intune's dashboard provides comprehensive insights into our device fleet, including compliance status, update failures, and application installations. This centralized view has increased our efficiency and proactivity in addressing issues compared to our previous reliance on SCCM reports. When enrolling personally owned devices, Intune applies organizational-level settings. This prevents downloads to local machines when using Office 365 applications or Teams. We can restrict downloads to specific containers that cannot be copied to other folders. Alternatively, we can limit application usage to on-premises or organizational machines. While our current setup allows Office 365 access on handheld devices, downloads and uploads are blocked. Intune offers this level of control, preventing data transfer to or from the device, regardless of whether it's personally owned or a company-issued app. We are upgrading our privilege management policies to mirror those already existing in our on-premises Active Directory. While we are not making substantive changes, Intune's endpoint privilege management offers significant improvements over our previous approach. By consolidating multiple policies into a few comprehensive ones, we can more effectively restrict user actions based on organizational hierarchy. This streamlined process eliminates the need for extensive group management in Active Directory and saves time overall. Once implemented, our policies will reduce the attack surface by restricting service access only to users possessing an infrastructure organization certificate, which we have obtained. Additionally, we will enforce IP-level restrictions, preventing access from personal devices or those outside our specified IP ranges. We can implement these restrictions at the IP, device, or certificate level. Intune has significantly reduced our costs. Previously, we managed multiple servers, but now we rely solely on a CCM server, which will be decommissioned soon. This eliminates the need for on-site server infrastructure, backup systems, dedicated staff, and extensive network support. With Intune, we can host the CCM server in a central location and avoid latency issues associated with multiple servers across different regions. Additionally, expanding to new offices no longer requires building additional data centers. Intune's cloud-based platform allows remote access from any location without needing on-premises infrastructure. As a result, many organizations, especially smaller ones, are adopting cloud-based solutions and eliminating the need for physical servers and laptops. Employees can leverage their own devices to access applications through Intune, further reducing costs and increasing flexibility. We can primarily manage security posture through Intune. However, due to pricing, we will likely use a third-party solution for device certificates. Interestingly, Microsoft seems to be introducing third-party vendor options within their portal. Ultimately, the security team will evaluate all options, including Intune, considering factors like policies, pros, cons, and pricing before deciding. Intune Suite's integration with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Security provides robust capabilities for centrally managing both cloud and co-managed devices. Previously, managing Exchange, Active Directory, and applications required separate teams, but Intune has streamlined this process, enabling efficient management of all mailboxes across devices from a single platform. It's incredibly easy to manage, allowing for remote administration and policy creation. Unlike the previous process of manually creating and testing Group Policy updates, Intune simplifies policy creation and testing with just a few clicks. Additionally, Intune eliminates the challenges of server-based upgrades by providing centralized management and control. We are currently utilizing multiple security solutions, leading to a complex environment. Due to cost considerations, we are transitioning from Microsoft's device certificate to a solution from a different vendor. Additionally, we are integrating this new solution with Intune and have replaced Jamf to manage our MacBook fleet. This change eliminates Jamf license costs while allowing us to manage Mac devices through Intune centrally. Similar to our previous use of Jamf, we incurred costs in a previous company but have successfully eliminated them by consolidating management within Intune. Furthermore, we are exploring Microsoft's evolving Office 365 licensing options. The latest E5 license offers integrated phone capabilities, replacing the need for separate devices like Cisco or Avaya phones. This consolidation allows users to make domestic and international calls through Microsoft Teams directly.
