Enterprise Technology Services (ETS) will be migrating ¶¶Òõ̽̽ managed Windows devices (computers, laptops or tablets) to Intune, Microsoft’s cloud-based endpoint management solution, starting May 20th. If you use a ¶¶Òõ̽̽ managed Windows device, you will notice notifications throughout the week as your device(s) are enrolled. If your department, your lab, or other work area are using a shared ¶¶Òõ̽̽ managed windows device, please email helpline@uvm.edu with serial number and computer name to ensure that they are enrolled correctly. A shared device is any device used regularly by multiple users.
For almost 20 years, ETS has used a variety of technologies to manage university desktops, laptops, and tablets running Microsoft Windows. While those decades have brought about many changes to the ways we work, including a recent and rapid expansion of an off-campus workforce, our device management methods have remained largely unchanged. This migration to Intune allows us to better address the needs of modern technologies and a mobile workforce.
When will this change happen?
We will be migrating devices to Intune on May 20th. This date was chosen to not impact Spring semester and to provide time for issues to be fixed before the summer sessions get into full swing.
What devices will be impacted?
We will be migrating all currently managed Windows devices. This includes any domain-joined device running Windows 10 or later.
Why are we moving to Intune?
The implementation of Intune provides a few key benefits, both on the management side and to end users.
Cloud Native
Intune is a cloud-based solution which means devices no longer need to connect to the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ VPN to ensure they are licensed and receiving the correct set of policies and configurations. Intune operates on Microsoft’s Entra platform, the same place that OneDrive, Teams, and SharePoint Online are housed. By leveraging this cloud-native service, we can deliver applications, updates, and configurations to end-user devices much more directly which should result in a better user experience.
Integrated Tools
Our current application and update management solution, Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), utilizes the Software Center application to provide software installs and updates. The move to Intune will replace Software Center with a new program called Company Portal for application installs but will leverage the built-in Windows Update service to provide operating system updates. Additionally, this move simplifies drive encryption management by leveraging the native BitLocker service.
Enhanced Security
Intune provides several security improvements out of the box. We are leveraging many of these to ensure our end-user devices are both compliant with our security policies and are secured following industry best practices. Most of these improvements will be invisible and should not impact the usability of our Windows devices.
Where can I learn more?
Documentation related to this migration can be found on the ETS Knowledge Base here: /it/kb/article/windows-intune-overview/
If you have any questions or concerns about this migration, please send an email to the Tech Team at helpline@uvm.edu.