To reap the benefits of Microsoft Autopilot, businesses must already possess a compatible MDM system like Microsoft Intune. This is an essential prerequisite software for businesses to be able to utilise Autopilot.
Microsoft Autopilot’s zero-touch, automated hardware deployment system is designed to work alongside Microsoft Intune. Together this software package will enable companies to have seamless device deployment and detailed management of company hardware.
What is Microsoft Intune?
Microsoft Intune is a sophisticated Mobile Device Management system. This cloud-based technology goes beyond many other MDMs as it aids businesses with issues of compliance and security.
With Intune, businesses can simply enrol all new hardware into their MDM and then configure them, customise them and even manage removal or blocking on compromised devices.
Intune is compatible with all Windows OS and Mac OS devices making it highly flexible.
Thanks to Intune, business owners need not worry about device and data security due to human error because access, permissions and applications can be restricted and controlled remotely with Intune.
What is Microsoft Autopilot?
Microsoft Autopilot manages your deployment strategy.
It is a completely zero touch and automated solution that takes all the wasted steps out of device deployment.
There is no need to purchase all your devices at once, ship them to IT, wipe them, custom configure them for employees and then redistribute them to those staff.
Once connected to the internet these new devices are automatically configured by Autopilot, so they are ready for work straight away. Customisation and setup takes place remotely while devices are en route to your workers. This reduces postage costs and labour costs for your IT department and saves valuable time.
With increasing remote working, home working and hybrid working, businesses have staff spread out across the country rather than in one location. Autopilot bypasses any issues with this situation and device deployment.
Intune can then take care of enrolling them in your system and handling day to day management such as restrictions and security.
Microsoft Autopilot allows you to:
- Join devices with Azure AD automatically.
- Enrol devices in Intune automatically.
- Fully automate the whole device process with only the connection to the business network and credential input necessary for workers to get started.
Requirements for Microsoft Autopilot
In order to start using Microsoft Autopilot, businesses must first have:
- An MDM service like Microsoft Intune
- Windows 10
- Azure Active Directory
What is Azure Active Directory?
Microsoft’s identity management solution. This allows automatic MDM enrolment and company branding features.
To gain Azure Active Directory, your company will require one of the following subscriptions:
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium subscription
- Microsoft 365 F1 or F3 subscription
- Microsoft 365 Academic A1, A3, or A5 subscription
- Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3 or E5 subscription
- Enterprise Mobility + Security E3 or E5 subscription
- Intune for Education subscription
- Azure Active Directory Premium P1 or P2 and Microsoft Intune subscription
What is the Relationship Between Microsoft Intune and Autopilot Functionality?
Your Autopilot and Intune accounts are connected softwares. Autopilot lets you register devices in Intune directly when you use it to buy new hardware. With Autopilot, employees can unbox their new devices, log into their Microsoft account and have a fully setup device.
Intune syncs with Autopilot and will push updates and configurations to the devices.
Carissa Parnell has been with HardSoft for over 10 years, she is a content writer and helps us with blogging. She is highly experienced in copywriting for SEO strategies, web copy, email marketing and article writing.
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