One of the most practical capabilities included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium is Microsoft Intune.

Purchased separately, Intune is typically a $9 per user per month add-on, but it is already included in the Business Premium license.

Intune performs a major role in modern cloud IT environments by providing centralized control over company devices.

With Intune, organizations gain capabilities such as:

  • Computer configuration management
  • Mobile device management (MDM)
  • Device compliance policies
  • Application management
  • Data protection controls on company devices

Instead of managing computers through traditional on-premise tools, devices become cloud-connected and centrally managed through Microsoft 365.

Moving Beyond Traditional PC Imaging

Historically, IT departments prepared computers by building custom images before distributing devices to employees.

Each machine would need to be:

  • Imaged
  • Configured
  • Joined to the network
  • Prepared with applications and policies

This process required IT staff to physically handle each device.

Microsoft Intune changes that model.

Microsoft Autopilot: Devices That Configure Themselves

When Intune is used together with Microsoft Autopilot, device deployment becomes dramatically simpler.

Organizations can order computers directly from hardware vendors and have them shipped straight to employees without IT staff ever touching the device.

When the user receives the laptop and signs in with their Microsoft 365 account, the device automatically connects to the organization’s configuration policies.

The computer then begins configuring itself by:

  • Applying company security policies
  • Installing required applications
  • Enrolling the device into management
  • Applying device compliance rules

All of this happens automatically as part of the login process.

The user doesn’t even need to be a local administrator on the device.

Cloud-Connected Device Management

With Intune and Autopilot, organizations move away from traditional PC imaging and toward cloud-managed devices.

This allows IT teams to manage computers regardless of where the user is located.

Policies, applications, and security controls are applied directly through Microsoft 365, creating a more scalable and flexible environment.

For many organizations, this approach significantly simplifies device deployment while improving security and consistency across company systems.

Learn More

If you're evaluating how Microsoft Defender, Intune, and Entra ID work together to secure modern IT environments, you may want to review our overview of Microsoft 365 security architecture: https://www.xerillion.com/microsoft-365-it-security-modernization/?