Your employees have laptops, phones, and tablets. They access company email, files, and applications. Some devices are company-owned; others are personal. How do you keep all of this secure and manageable?

That’s where Microsoft Intune comes in. Let me explain it in plain English.

What Intune actually does

Intune is Microsoft’s cloud-based tool for managing devices. Instead of walking around to each computer to configure settings, install software, or enforce security policies, you do it all from a web dashboard.

Think of it as: A remote control panel for all your company’s devices.

Core capabilities

Device management

From the Intune dashboard, you can:

  • See all enrolled devices in one place
  • Check device health and compliance status
  • Push software and updates to devices
  • Configure WiFi, VPN, and email settings remotely
  • Lock or wipe lost or stolen devices

Security policies

Enforce consistent security across all devices:

  • Require passwords/PINs
  • Mandate encryption
  • Block jailbroken/rooted devices
  • Require up-to-date antivirus
  • Control which apps can access company data

Application management

Control how business apps work:

  • Deploy apps automatically to devices
  • Restrict copy/paste from company apps to personal apps
  • Require PIN to open business apps
  • Remove company apps when employees leave

Real-world scenarios

Scenario: New employee onboarding

Without Intune: IT staff spend hours setting up each new laptop. Install Office, configure email, set up VPN, install business apps, configure security settings…

With Intune: Employee signs in with their company account. Device automatically enrolls. All applications, settings, and security policies apply automatically. Ready to work in minutes.

Scenario: Lost laptop

Without Intune: Panic. Hope the laptop was encrypted. No way to know what data is at risk. No way to remotely protect the device.

With Intune: See exactly when the device was last active. Remotely lock or wipe the device. Confirm company data is secured. Sleep at night.

Scenario: Employee departure

Without Intune: Collect device (if company-owned). Hope they didn’t save company data elsewhere. Manually remove their access from various systems.

With Intune: Trigger a selective wipe that removes company data and apps while leaving personal data intact. Revoke access immediately, regardless of physical device location.

Scenario: BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)

Without Intune: Either ban personal devices (frustrating for employees) or allow them with no controls (risky for the business).

With Intune: Employees enroll their personal devices. Company data stays in managed apps. Personal data stays private. If they leave, only company data is removed.

Who needs Intune?

Intune makes sense for businesses that:

  • Have more than a handful of employees with devices
  • Allow or require remote work
  • Have compliance or security requirements
  • Want to reduce IT setup time for new employees
  • Use personal devices for work (BYOD)
  • Are concerned about data on lost or stolen devices

What Intune costs

Intune is included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium ($22/user/month), which most businesses should consider anyway for email, Office apps, and security features.

It’s also included in various Enterprise E3/E5 plans and available standalone for organizations with existing licensing.

For most small businesses, Business Premium is the right choice—you get Intune plus everything else you need.

Common concerns

”Will Intune spy on my employees?”

Intune sees device health, installed apps, and compliance status. It does not see personal files, photos, texts, or browsing history. On personal devices with work profiles, the separation is even clearer.

Be transparent with employees about what management includes.

”Is this complicated to set up?”

Initial setup requires careful planning—policies, app configurations, enrollment processes. But once configured, ongoing management is straightforward. Most businesses see time savings within the first few months.

”What about devices that aren’t Windows?”

Intune manages Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices. It works across the mixed environments most businesses actually have.

Getting started with Intune

A typical Intune implementation involves:

  1. Planning – Define policies, identify apps, plan enrollment approach
  2. Configuration – Set up policies, compliance rules, app deployments
  3. Pilot – Test with a small group of devices
  4. Rollout – Enroll all devices, train IT staff
  5. Optimization – Refine based on real-world use

Intune help in Colorado

If you’re a business in Colorado Springs or Denver considering Intune, reach out. I can assess your current environment, plan an implementation, and get your devices managed properly.

Device management doesn’t have to be complicated—it just needs to be set up right.