Microsoft releases new details on Windows Intune

In late March, Microsoft announced the final release of Windows Intune, their new service which provides PC management and security in the cloud. Microsoft has now revealed a few new details about the deployment features and security of the service.

As reported by CNET, Microsoft discussed these features in a blog post at their Springboard Series blog.

First off, Microsoft has confirmed that Windows Intune is designed to be used only with Windows PCs ruling out any support for mobile phones. Users hoping to manage servers or thin-clients with Intune will also be disappointed as Microsoft still recommends users to use System Center to manage servers.

One of the bigger revelations is Intune’s ability to fully replace WSUS. As noted by Stephen L Rose, “Windows Intune has functionality parity with WSUS. But it does much more than WSUS, as it also includes upgrade rights to Windows 7 Enterprise and future versions of Windows, software and hardware inventory, remote assistance, malware protection, and policy.” This should come as a great benefit to IT administrators looking to consolidate their services.

Intune will also provide a secure connection between clients and the service by communicating through port 443. Furthermore, customers’ hardware and software inventory will be kept private since each “client includes an account/customer specific certificate that enforces this separation.”

For those interested, Intune is generally available in 35 countries with a 30-day customer trial for 25 PCs available at http://www.windowsintune.com/.