Modern management

Why it matters

Traditional endpoint management treats devices as objects to be configured once at deployment and then maintained through ongoing manual updates and policy adjustments. Devices degrade over time – patches accumulate, configurations drift, security baselines erode. Your IT team spends significant effort keeping devices current and compliant. When new compliance requirements emerge or security threats appear, rolling policy changes across hundreds or thousands of devices is cumbersome. Device refresh cycles are complex procurement exercises followed by weeks of IT staging work before devices reach users.

Modern endpoint management inverts this problem using a cloud-native architecture (Intune, Entra ID, Autopilot) that treats devices as code, not hardware. Security policies are defined in Intune as declarative configurations that apply automatically and continuously. When policies change, updates roll out instantly to all managed devices. Device provisioning is automated – Windows Autopilot takes a generic device fresh from the factory and transforms it into a corporate-standard, user-personalised system within minutes without IT involvement. Devices become evergreen through continuous updates that happen automatically. Compliance tracking is automated – Intune reports on compliance status in real time and can automatically remediate non-compliance through policy adjustments. Your IT team shifts from reactive device maintenance to strategic oversight of endpoints as policy-driven infrastructure.

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Intune automates compliance tracking and remediation across your endpoint fleet, eliminating manual compliance verification and reducing time to remediate policy violations from days to hours.

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Windows Autopilot provisions generic devices into corporate-standard, user-personalised systems in minutes without IT staging, reducing device deployment time from weeks to hours.

Key features

Cloud-native endpoint management with Intune

Microsoft Intune provides cloud-based device management that treats endpoints as manageable infrastructure rather than standalone systems. Policies are defined once in Intune and apply consistently across all managed devices. Policy changes take effect immediately – no waiting for devices to check in or requiring manual policy refresh. Intune reports on compliance status continuously, giving you real-time visibility into which devices are compliant and which require remediation.

Automated provisioning with Windows Autopilot

Windows Autopilot transforms factory-fresh devices into corporate-standard systems without IT involvement. A new device is unboxed and powered on; Autopilot automatically connects it to your Azure Active Directory, downloads policies and applications, and personalises the system for its user. The device is work-ready within minutes, with all security policies applied and all required applications installed. This eliminates weeks of IT staging work.

Identity-based access control with Entra ID

Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) provides identity-based security rather than device-based security. Users authenticate through Entra ID using strong authentication (multi-factor authentication, passwordless methods). Access to applications and data is controlled by user identity and device health, not just device ownership. This enables secure access from diverse devices (company devices, personal devices, shared kiosks) without compromising security.

Co-management and GPO migration support

For organisations transitioning from traditional Active Directory and Group Policy to cloud-native Intune, we provide co-management setup – simultaneous management through Configuration Manager (on-premises) and Intune (cloud) – and GPO migration tools. This allows you to transition workloads to Intune at your pace without disrupting device management. We handle the technical complexity of running both systems in parallel and migrating workloads gradually.

How it works

Step 1

Discover and assess your current environment

We evaluate your current endpoint management approach – whether you’re using Active Directory and Group Policy, System Center Configuration Manager, or a mixture of tools. We inventory your device population, policies, applications and compliance requirements. This assessment identifies what must be migrated to Intune, what can be modernised and what might require special handling.

Step 2

Build your cloud-native architecture in Azure

We design your Intune environment in Azure and configure Entra ID as your cloud identity provider. We define device groups in Intune (by department, role, location) and design policy profiles that will apply to each group. We configure applications for deployment through Intune. We establish conditional access policies that govern who can access what based on user identity and device compliance. We plan the migration sequence from traditional management to cloud-native management.

Step 3

Pilot with selected devices and user groups

We deploy Intune management to a pilot group of devices and users representing different personas and use cases. This pilot tests policy deployment, application installation and user experience with cloud-native management. We monitor adoption and identify any policies or workflows requiring adjustment before broader rollout.

Step 4

Rollout to your full endpoint fleet

Based on pilot validation, we scale Intune management to your full device population according to a schedule you control. For new devices, Windows Autopilot provisioning takes over – devices provision automatically without IT staging. For existing devices, we enrol them into Intune and begin applying cloud-native policies. During transition, we run co-management where needed, allowing Configuration Manager and Intune to manage devices simultaneously.

Step 5

Manage endpoints as policy-driven infrastructure

Once your fleet is cloud-native, device management becomes policy management. You update policies in Intune and changes apply instantly across all managed devices. Compliance monitoring is automated, reporting shows real-time compliance status and non-compliant devices can be automatically remediated. Devices receive updates automatically and stay current without requiring manual intervention.

Partners

Modern Management is delivered using Microsoft Intune, Windows Autopilot, Azure Active Directory/Entra ID and Group Policy migration tools. We integrate with your existing Microsoft 365 environment and can coordinate with System Center Configuration Manager during transition periods.

Ready to modernise your endpoint management?

Cloud-native endpoint management is faster, simpler and more secure than traditional device administration. Let’s assess your current environment and design a modern management strategy aligned to your business needs.

Speak to a specialist

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FAQs

Do we need to move completely to cloud-native management, or can we run both traditional and modern systems simultaneously?

You can run both simultaneously through co-management, where Configuration Manager and Intune manage devices in parallel. This allows you to migrate workloads to Intune at your pace – some policies through Intune, others through Configuration Manager – until everything is cloud-native. Co-management gives you transition flexibility without forcing a hard cutover.

How long does it take to migrate our environment from traditional Group Policy to Intune-based management?

Timeline depends on environment complexity. Simple environments might migrate in 4-8 weeks. Complex environments with many custom policies, legacy applications and interdependencies might take 12-16 weeks. We typically recommend a phased approach – starting with straightforward workloads (basic security policies, standard applications) to build confidence, then tackling more complex policies and applications. Phasing reduces risk of disruption.

What about devices that can’t be cloud-managed – can Intune manage those?

Intune is cloud-native and requires cloud connectivity. Devices must be able to reach Azure services. In rare cases where devices can’t access cloud services, we can discuss alternatives like keeping specific devices on Configuration Manager or cloud-based proxy approaches. For the vast majority of modern organisations, cloud connectivity is available everywhere.

Does Windows Autopilot require users to know anything – or is provisioning completely transparent?

Autopilot is designed to be transparent to users. A new device powers on, connects to the internet, and Autopilot provisions it automatically. Users enter their credentials once and the device is ready. From the user perspective, they unbox a device, power it on and within minutes they’re working – no IT interaction required. We provide users with a simple guide if needed, but most users find the process intuitive.