An update to Microsoft Intune will arrive between February 6, 2015 and February 11, 2015. The update will add security features and extend Intune support more fully to iOS and Android.
Security is one of the most important parts of many corporations. Whether it’s to keep inside information on the inside or to prevent personal information from being stolen, companies rely on technology to protect them from prying eyes. One major setback of closed network secure set ups is that users have to login from a computer that is directly connected to the grid. That set up also can restrict employees from using their own devices. A way to overcome restrictions of corporate networks is using a secure cloud server and manager.
One such manager is Microsoft Intune which Microsoft states “helps organizations provide their employees with access to corporate applications, data, and resources from virtually anywhere on almost any device, while helping to keep corporate information secure.” Intune allows secure access to corporate networks with their own devices as well as via the cloud. Intune is charged by the user rather than the device so each employee can access their respective systems from any location through a broad range of devices.
The coming update adds security features and extends Intune more fully onto the iOS and Android platforms. The update includes:
- •Management of Office mobile apps (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) for Android devices, including ability to restrict actions such as copy, cut, and paste outside of the managed app ecosystem
- •Management of the OneNote app for iOS devices. Management of Office mobile apps (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) on iOS devices made available in December 2014
- •Ability to browse and install apps on Windows Phone 8.1 devices using Intune Company Portal website
- •Deployment of WiFi profiles for Windows devices using XML import and Windows Phone devices using OMA-URI (deployment of WiFi profiles currently supported for iOS and Android devices)
- •Support for Cisco AnyConnect per-app VPN configurations for iOS devices
- •Ability to require encryption on Windows 8.1 (x86) devices
- •Ability to set minimum classification of platform updates to be installed automatically on Windows 8.1 (x86) devices
Intune was initially made for updating multiple computers across internal networks and has developed into an overall network managing product. Microsoft is still pushing the Cloud first message of CEO Satya Nadella. Intune helps ensure security in the cloud first world of Microsoft which is essential in the corporate market.
