What if your company could eliminate the need for on-premises servers for about $8 per employee per month? This could be the case for firms that already use Microsoft 365.
Depending on your needs, renting a server might cost hundreds of dollars each month. The cost of purchasing a server may have been thousands of dollars, but the cost of maintaining it is still hundreds of dollars.
There has never been a better moment to complete your cloud migration.
Moving to the cloud does save you money every month. However, these maintenance costs do not entirely compensate for the opportunity cost of migrating to the cloud.
Organizations can strengthen their cybersecurity, improve onboarding, and reduce downtime for menial chores with Microsoft Endpoint Manager. This is accomplished through features such as Intune and Autopilot.
For enterprises adopting Microsoft 365, Microsoft Endpoint Manager is the first step toward a hybrid cloud. Ideally, your company will soon make the whole transition to the cloud.
What is Microsoft Endpoint Manager, and how does it work?
Microsoft's unified device-management product, Endpoint Manager, focuses on endpoint security and "intelligent cloud activities." Endpoint Configuration Manager and Microsoft Intune are combined in one platform.
Microsoft Endpoint Manager has been included in Microsoft 365 Enterprise plans such as E3.
Microsoft rolled Intune into a new platform, building on their success with Intune. Endpoint Manager assists businesses in securing and deploying their cloud. After deployment, they manage their users, apps, and devices all in one spot.
Configuration Manager and Intune are the two consoles that make up the platform. On-premises clients and infrastructure are handled by the former. Intune is a cloud-native software and device management platform.
What is Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, and how does it work?
Microsoft's on-premises device management product is Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager. Configuration Manager enables your organization to distribute applications, updates, and entire images to on-premises devices and servers.
Organizations can make the most of their hardware and software by automating everyday operations with Configuration Manager. It also takes advantage of Active Directory to improve organizational security by managing users. Configuration Manager abstracts hours of customization and restoration by providing a default image to deploy to new devices. You're ready to go as soon as you set up a new device.
What is Microsoft Intune, and how does it work?
Microsoft Intune is Microsoft's mobile device management (MDM) and mobile app management (MAM) platform. Unlike Configuration Manager, which focuses on on-premises management, Intune is cloud-based management software.
Intune assists with mobile device access control, such as laptops and cell phones. This aids in limiting which personnel has access to specific information. You may also use Intune to put up additional security measures on non-company-owned devices.
Intune, like Configuration Manager, sends complete images to new devices. It accomplishes it via the cloud, allowing devices to be accessed remotely and effectively.
Intune adds an extra layer of security with cloud-based identity and endpoint management. Organizations may stay in the cloud instead of employing an on-premises server thanks to its connection with Azure Active Directory. Organizations can use Azure sync to connect their on-premises servers to the Azure cloud. Creating a hybrid cloud is the best-case scenario.
What is the Intune business portal?
Employees of firms that use Endpoint Manager can use the Microsoft Intune company portal to securely access corporate resources.
Users with an Intune-enabled enterprise account can use the app to access office apps, email, and OneDrive. The enterprise portal can also be used for single sign-on (SSO), which improves app security.
How can I add a device to Intune?
Sign in to the company site using a company account to enrol a device in Intune. The portal will lead you through setting up your device and connecting to your company once you've signed in.
Endpoint Configuration Manager with Intune co-management
Organizations may co-manage their environment with Configuration Manager and Intune to get the most out of Endpoint Manager. The only capability lost by relying solely on Intune is the ability to deploy operating systems traditionally. Configuration Manager may erase a device and load the operating system from a disc.
Without Intune, businesses lose risk-based access management and advanced security features such as Advanced Threat Protection (ATP). Auto-provisioning via Autopilot is likewise not possible with Configuration Manager.
What advantages does Microsoft Endpoint Manager provide?
There are numerous advantages to utilizing Microsoft Endpoint Manager in general. In this piece, we'll concentrate solely on how it aids in eliminating the need for servers.
Endpoint Security
To begin, Endpoint Manager aids in the security of all your endpoints. Your most sensitive data or applications are only accessible to those who need them with Azure Active Directory's Conditional Access App Control.
Devices that access your cloud and the apps that reside there can be subjected to conditional access regulations.
Endpoint Manager can now enforce security standards, install standard compliance rules, and block access from vulnerable or non-corporate-owned devices by registering devices with Azure AD.
When you register devices, Endpoint Manager features to assist you in ensuring that they meet security criteria. You only want compliant devices, and those joined to your domain and managed by Intune have cloud access.
Intune will get them out to your devices when security upgrades become available. Your devices will be updated as soon as feasible after vulnerabilities are patched. There's no need to wait until known vulnerabilities are ready to be exploited. Companies that purchase E3 licences to gain access to Endpoint Manager also receive ATP.
Zero-Touch Deployment
Using Intune and Autopilot, Endpoint Manager can immediately upload programmes and settings to new and existing devices. Zero-Touch Deployment is the term for this method.
Let's imagine your company hires a new employee working from home. You're sending a computer to their home office, but you'll need your corporate policies on the device for it to be compliant. Your settings are deployed as soon as the device is registered with your cloud and Endpoint Manager with Intune and Autopilot. This includes pre-shipment as well.
This eliminates the need to ship the device to your main office or IT department, configure the settings, and mail it to the newly hired employee. All of this is taken care of by Autopilot, so your new employee is ready to work right away.
Central Control Management
Endpoint Manager brings everything together in one place, allowing you to manage your cloud from a single location. Wireless networks are included in management.
With Intune, you may use "profiles" to deploy built-in Wi-Fi settings directly to linked devices. You can then assign the profile to a group of users in your business by incorporating settings that link directly to your chosen Wi-Fi network. You'll never have to be concerned about people connecting to an insecure network—only those you've chosen or set up.
How Endpoint Manager Exclusively Takes You to the Cloud
So, the advantages of Endpoint Manager are obvious. But how might such characteristics transport you to a mystical, server-free realm?
If your firm already uses Microsoft 365, your employees will have access to your on-premises server and the cloud. M365 manages user profiles, which are saved in Azure. These profiles are downloaded to your server and delivered to your on-premises endpoints.
This can be a concern if you have remote users or individuals who utilize non-company-issued devices. You're probably employing a virtual private network for remote user security (VPN) if a remote user forgets their password while at home, they must update the password for their cloud profile.
Unfortunately, they'll have to log into the VPN with the same profile to sync it with the on-premises server they're trying to connect to.
The passwords will not match, and the forgotten password will need to be recalled to change the VPN password. You should require an online connection to change a password, not an internet connection and a VPN. Your devices are connected to your cloud with Endpoint Manager through Azure AD. This is in contrast to your profiles being synced to the on-premise server after being joined to M365 in the cloud. Because the device has already been registered in the cloud, any changes made to it will be reflected immediately. It is then returned to the device.
Because everything is already running through Azure, there is no need for a server to serve information to the device. A VPN isn't required to make improvements that benefit your users. The information communication is consistent thanks to the policies set up in your Endpoint Manager.
There is no risk of data being transferred to a hacked machine. It is not necessary to use a VPN to do this task.
You can relocate your devices from your on-premises server to the cloud and leave that server in the past for $8 per user each month. It's back where it belongs.
