What is Microsoft Intune? (Plain English Explanation)
Microsoft Intune in Plain English
Microsoft Intune is a Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Mobile Application Management (MAM) service. But let's translate that into something that actually makes sense.
The Analogy: Building Security
Imagine your company is a building. Before Intune, employees could walk in through any door, at any time, with no security check. That's convenient — but it's also how break-ins happen.
With Intune, think of it like a modern building access system:
- Your device is your ID badge — It needs to be registered before it can enter
- Compliance is the security check — Your device needs to meet certain standards (like having a lock screen) before it's allowed in
- Conditional access is the front desk — If your device doesn't pass the security check, the front desk stops you from entering certain areas
- App protection is the secure room — Even inside, certain documents are only handled in protected spaces
How Intune Works Behind the Scenes
Intune is part of Microsoft 365 and lives in the cloud. Here's the simple version of how it works:
- Your IT team creates policies — Rules like "all devices must have a 6-digit password" or "Outlook data can't be copied to personal apps"
- You enroll your device — You install the Company Portal app and sign in with your work account
- Intune pushes settings to your device — The policies are applied automatically, like requiring a password or encrypting your drive
- Your device checks in regularly — Every 8 hours (typically), your device reports its status to Intune
- If something is wrong, you're notified — The Company Portal app will tell you if your device is out of compliance
Why Your Company Chose Intune
Your company likely chose Intune for several reasons:
| Reason | What It Means for You |
|---|---|
| It's part of Microsoft 365 | If your company already uses Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Teams, SharePoint), Intune is included or easily added |
| Cloud-based | No VPN needed — your device communicates with Intune over the internet |
| Works on all platforms | Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android are all supported |
| Separates work and personal data | On mobile devices, Intune creates a "work container" that isolates company data |
| Remote wipe capability | If you lose your device, IT can remove company data without touching your personal files |
Intune vs. Other Device Management Tools
You might have heard of other MDM solutions like Jamf (Mac-only), MobileIron, or VMware Workspace ONE. Intune's advantage is that it's deeply integrated with Microsoft 365 — meaning if your company uses Outlook, Teams, or SharePoint, Intune provides seamless protection for those apps specifically.
What Intune Means for Your Daily Work
For most users, Intune is invisible after enrollment. Here's what you might notice:
- A Company Portal app appears on your device — this is your management hub
- Your password requirements might change (longer, more complex)
- Company apps like Outlook and Teams might be pushed to your device automatically
- You might need to enroll before you can access work email
- Your device might need updates before you can access company resources
In the next lesson, we'll walk through exactly what happens during the enrollment process — step by step — so you know what to expect.
Beawit Consulting helps businesses deploy Microsoft Intune across all device platforms. Contact us for expert Intune implementation and training.
There are no comments for now.