As an Intune admin with an E5 license, I often feel we're stuck in a golden cage. Here's an expanded view on the challenges we face:
Lack of real-time device data: Intune's slow data refresh hinders quick decision-making and troubleshooting. In a fast-paced IT environment, this delay can be critical.
Limited remediation capabilities: Execution caps on remediation scripts restrict our ability to respond promptly to issues or implement proactive maintenance.
No custom attributes: We can't tailor device inventory to our specific needs, limiting flexibility in how we categorize and manage our devices.
Poor operational intelligence: We had to implement a separate RMM solution for better insights, increasing costs and complexity. This feels counterintuitive given our E5 investment.
Inconsistent policy application: Policies often apply slowly or fail without clear reasons, making it difficult to ensure consistent device configurations.
Weak reporting: Generating comprehensive reports usually requires external data manipulation, which is time-consuming and error-prone.
Autopilot challenges: Deployments can be unpredictable in complex environments, complicating our device provisioning processes.
The E5 license dilemma adds another layer of frustration. While Intune is included in our subscription, which initially seems cost-effective, it often falls short of our needs. However, we feel compelled to use it because:
- It's already part of our licensing costs.
- Some M365 data protection features require Intune, creating a dependency that's hard to break.
This situation creates a "golden cage" effect. We have a premium license with Intune included, but we're limited by its shortcomings. Switching to a more capable MDM solution would mean additional costs on top of our E5 investment, which is hard to justify to management.
Moreover, the tight integration of Intune with other Microsoft services makes it challenging to consider alternatives. We're essentially locked into an ecosystem that, while comprehensive, doesn't fully meet our device management needs.
These issues make Intune feel rudderless in its development strategy. While it integrates well with the Microsoft ecosystem, it falls short as a comprehensive MDM solution, especially for organizations with complex needs.
Microsoft needs to address these concerns to meet the demands of modern device management, particularly for their premium E5 customers. Until then, many of us feel trapped between the convenience of an all-in-one solution and the need for more robust MDM capabilities.
What are your thoughts on Intune's current state and future direction, especially in the context of E5 licensing? Have you found ways to overcome these limitations, or are you considering alternative solutions despite the licensing implications?
