OkayOne of the biggest challenges that organizations face is the timely delivery of software updates. That is why choosing the right mobile device management (MDM) solution for your company is important. MDM solutions help you manage corporate data on devices by setting up accessibility policies and data security.
And here the question arises: between Microsoft Intune and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager which MDM is better? And although both solutions are parts of Microsoft Endpoint Manager, they have different features and functionalities.
Let's look into these solutions, discussing their pros and cons.
Microsoft describes SCCM as "an on-premises solution to manage desktops, servers, and laptops that are on your network or internet-based." The solution made its debut in 1994 and is currently part of Microsoft Endpoint Manager (MEM).
Intune on the other hand is a cloud-based service that focuses on mobile application management (MAM) and mobile device management (MDM). Intune has a simpler architecture when compared to SCCM as it is a cloud-based application.
Features of Intune
1. Device Management
Intune provides you with a device management approach that best suits your needs. For example, you may want complete control over organization-owned devices including features, settings, and security. With this approach devices and the users of these machines have to enroll in Intune. Upon enrollment, the users receive your rules through Intune policies.
Microsoft Intune also lets you keep track of all employee devices, whether they are 'bring your own devices (BYOD) or organization-owned. Your network admins can view the devices that have enrolled. Intune will also provide you with an inventory of all the devices that are accessing your organization's resources.
2. Application Management
The mobile application management (MAM) feature safeguards your organization's data at the application level. MAM in Intune covers both store apps and custom apps, which in turn gives you numerous workplace apps to choose from. Just like device management, you can use app management on personal devices or company-owned devices.
3. Compliance and Conditional Access
Intune integrates with Azure AD to enable a wide range of access control scenarios. If you want mobile devices to comply with the Intune organizational standards before they access network resources like SharePoint or email. You can also lock down services so they're only accessible to a specific set of mobile applications.
4. Security
Intune provides a wide scope of security solutions. For one Intune allows you to secure your on-premises email and data so that mobile devices can safely access it. Intune also secures BYOD devices, limited-use shared devices, as well as corporate-owned devices. With Intune, you can enable your employees to safely access Office 365 from an unmanaged public kiosk.
5. Autopilot
Autopilot is a feature of Intune that lets your enterprise to pre-configure new Windows devices before they are accessible to end users. When a device enrolls in Autopilot, it registers with Intune and links with the organization's Azure Active Directory (ADD) tenant. The business can then pre-configure the device policies, settings, and applications that it wants to apply to the device.
6. Windows Update for Business
This feature enables organizations to control and manage Windows updates. You can use Windows updates for Business to ensure that all your devices are up-to-date with the newest security and software patches.
7. Reports and System Logs
Microsoft Intune provides comprehensive reports and system logs to offer you a detailed view of software inventories. This enables you to generate reports and retrieve data on specific types of software on your devices. The logs can include specific details and also support export in HTML or CSV formats.
Audit logs in Intune are part of activities that result in a change. Every Create, Edit, Update, Assign, Delete, and Remote action will result in audit events that network admins can review for the workloads. Intune enables auditing of all customers by default, however, users can review audit logs if they have the proper permissions.
8. Task Creation and Management
Intune lets you create, manage, and execute tasks remotely on the devices you manage. Additionally, you can configure remote tasks that force client devices to update their policies as soon as they come back online. The admin console allows you to see whether tasks are running, queued, successful, or if they have failed.
You can also choose multiple machines for one task instead of managing each device individually.
Pros
Cons
Features of SCCM
1. Applications management
SCCM provides you with the tools and resources that you require to create, monitor, deploy, and manage applications for the devices that you manage. The SCCM apps support user-centric management, meaning you can associate specific devices with specific users. You can also use this feature to ensure that the most important software is available on every device that a particular user accesses.
This feature also lets you send application deployments to devices, users, groups of devices, or groups of users.
2. Operating System Deployment
SCCM contains tools for creating OS images, which you can then use in operating system deployment through bootable media or PXE boot. This applies to both SCCM-managed and unmanaged devices. PXE-initiated deployments allow client machines to request a network deployment. The system then sends the OS image and a Windows PE boot image to a distribution point that is capable of accepting PXE boot requests. The bootable media deployments enable you to implement the OS when the destination computer boots. Once the target device boots, it collects from the network the OS image, task sequence, and any other resources. Since those resources aren't on the media, you can constantly update everything without reconstructing the media.
3. Resource Access
SCCM offers convenient data and application remote access to organization resources via powerful tools like WI-FI profiles, VPN profiles, conditional access, and certificate profiles.
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5. Endpoint protection
SCCM handles Windows Firewall security and malware detection policies in the Configuration Manager hierarchy for user devices. This in turn provides endpoint security to enterprise computers.
Some of the other benefits that Endpoint Protection with SCCM offers include:
6. Device Compliance
SCCM guarantees the highest level of device compliance with its intuitive tools that help you track and assess client device compliance norms.
7. Reporting
SCCM has sophisticated SQL Server reporting capabilities that enable you to create custom reports directly from the console.
8. Software metering
SCCM's built-in software metering capabilities enable you to conveniently monitor and manage software using information from SCCM clients
9. Power management and remote control
You can use SCCM to accurately control and assess the resources generated by client devices. SCCM can also help in creating, deploying, and monitoring the configuring of remote connections to machines.
Pros
Licensing
SCCM is an on-premises mobile device management solution that depends on the built-in management abilities of Windows. This feature uses the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) Device Management (DM) standard. The tool uses your company's on-premises configuration infrastructure to control and maintain the machines.
SCCM will store all your information in your on-prem database. Intune on the other hand is a cloud-based solution that enables you to remotely manage your mobile device.
SCCM implements a conventional volume licensing format. The number of users that you manage with SCCM does not affect the cost. SCCM is part of Microsoft Software Assurance programs and is under the following licenses: Enterprise mobility and Security E3, Intune user subscription license, Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft 363 F3, or Microsoft 365 E5.
Intune is available with different licensing, depending on the kind of institution. To use in tune you will need to have one of the following licenses: Enterprise Mobility and Security E5, Microsoft 365 F3, Microsoft 365 F1, Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Microsoft 365 Government G5, or Microsoft 365 Government G3.
Security
Both Intune and SCCM provide extensive security and compliance features for Windows endpoints. Intune has a large set of security and compliance capabilities such as device restriction, device encryption, remote wipe, and password policies. You can also integrate Intune with third-party security solutions such as Symantec, Micro, Trend, and McAfee.
SCCM not only provides basic security capabilities but also offers extra security and compliance features such as application Whitelisting, system hardening, and malware protection.
Deployment
Intune and SCCM employ different approaches to deployment and management. Intune is a cloud-native solution that needs minimal infrastructure and is easy to scale and deploy. Intune can be deployed quickly and managed from any location with internet access.
SCCM is an on-premises solution that requires its server as well as additional infrastructure. When compared to Intune SCCM applies a more complex approach to deployment and management. However, SCCM offers more robust management capabilities that you can use to manage multiple locations.
Cost
Intune is a part of the Azure portal and is available as a standalone solution or as an inclusion in enterprise mobile and security packages. This makes Intune a cost-effective solution as the price per user is not prohibitive. SCCM however uses a CAL license, meaning that the price is determined by the number of clients you have on endpoints.
Some licensing arrangements can help you cut cost, but it is still expensive.
Integration with Third-Party Apps
SCCM's main focus is windows devices, as such, there is little support for Linux and Mac. SCCM requires a windows server to run, and because of this only a few multi-platform environments are supported by SCCM. Additionally, SCCM has limited support for third-party application patching.
Intune however integrates with a large set of third-party devices and applications. The Intune admin center provides you with an easy way to connect to multiple partner services such as:
Managed Google Play - By connecting to your Managed Google Play accounts, admins can access your organization's Android app repository, and deploy these applications to your machines.
Apple tokens and certificates – Once you add the apple tokens and certificates, your macOS, iOS, and iPadOS devices can enroll in Intune.
Ease of Use
SCCM has a steep learning curve for the admins. Your organization has to invest large amounts of resources such as labor and time to utilize SCCM's capabilities. This makes SCCM an excellent choice for larger companies. On the other hand, microsoft intune is relatively easy to use and requires minimal skill and resources to run. This ease of use makes Intune the best option for smaller organizations that need to manage an increasing number of mobile devices.
