Microsoft
Microsoft Intune
Cloud-native endpoint management, native to Microsoft 365
Microsoft Intune is the cloud UEM and MDM at the heart of the Microsoft Intune Suite, wired directly into Entra ID, Conditional Access and Defender. For organisations standardised on Microsoft 365, it is the lowest-friction way to manage Windows, iOS, Android and macOS from one console, with licensing often already owned.
UEM
Unified Endpoint Mgmt
MDM
Mobile Device Mgmt
MTD
Via Defender / partner
What Microsoft Intune is
Microsoft Intune is Microsoft's cloud-based unified endpoint management service, evolved from Windows Intune (2011) into the modern Microsoft Intune Suite. It manages the full device lifecycle (enrolment, configuration, app delivery, compliance and retirement) across Windows, iOS/iPadOS, Android and macOS.
Its defining strength is integration. Intune is native to the Microsoft ecosystem: identity and access flow through Entra ID, security signals through Microsoft Defender, and policy enforcement through Conditional Access. For an organisation already running Microsoft 365 E3 or E5, that means UEM capability that is frequently already licensed and that fits the tools your IT team uses every day.
Intune covers UEM and MDM comprehensively, including mobile application management (MAM) for BYOD without full enrolment. It does not include dedicated mobile threat defense on its own, that comes via Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or a partner MTD such as Zimperium, which Artiflex layers in for full threat coverage.
Often already
in your M365 licence
Intune Plan 1 ships with Microsoft 365 E3, E5 and EMS E3/E5. Many UAE customers already own UEM entitlement without realising it, the lowest-friction starting point in the entire market. Pair it with Zimperium for full UEM + MTD coverage.
- Native Entra ID and Conditional Access
- Often included in M365 E3 / E5 and EMS
- Windows, iOS/iPadOS, Android, macOS
- MAM for BYOD without full enrolment
- Windows Autopilot zero-touch provisioning
- Defender risk signals into compliance
- Intune Suite premium modules available
- Threat defense via Defender or Zimperium
Why it wins
What makes Intune the M365 default
The strengths that show up most often in UAE deployments where Microsoft 365 is the existing standard.
M365 E3/E5
Intune Plan 1 is included in standard Microsoft 365 enterprise bundles
4 OS
Windows, iOS, Android and macOS managed from a single cloud console
Intune Suite
Premium bundle adds Remote Help, EPM, Advanced Analytics, Enterprise App Mgmt and Cloud PKI
Native to Microsoft 365
The tightest integration with Entra ID, Defender and Conditional Access of any UEM. If your identity, security and productivity stack is Microsoft, Intune fits like a glove.
Often already licensed
Included in M365 E3, E5 and EMS bundles. Many UAE organisations already own Intune entitlements through their existing Microsoft agreement, the most cost-efficient UEM option in that scenario.
Cross-platform
Windows, iOS, Android and macOS managed from one cloud console. Strongest of all UEMs at Windows management thanks to Autopilot and tight OS integration.
MAM for BYOD
Mobile Application Management protects corporate data inside Microsoft and supported third-party apps without enrolling personal devices. Ideal for contractor and BYOD scenarios under PDPL.
Autopilot provisioning
Devices ship straight from the vendor to the user and configure themselves through Entra and Intune. The reference experience for modern Windows deployment.
Conditional Access
Gate corporate resources on real-time device compliance, identity risk and Defender signal. The native control plane for Zero Trust on Microsoft 365.
Who should put Microsoft Intune on the shortlist
Microsoft 365 organisations standardised on M365 E3 or E5 wanting UEM that is native, integrated and often already owned
Windows-heavy estates needing modern Windows management with Autopilot, Update for Business and Endpoint Privilege Management
Hybrid identity environments where Entra ID is the source of truth and Conditional Access ties device state to access
Mixed mobile fleets (iOS and Android) that need management plus MAM-only BYOD protection alongside Windows
Enterprises adding mobile threat defense via Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or partner MTD such as Zimperium
Teams running Microsoft Defender XDR who want UEM signals flowing into the same security operations console
Regulated UAE customers (finance, government) requiring NESA and PDPL alignment within the Microsoft compliance stack
Organisations consolidating SCCM/MEMCM and modernising to cloud-managed endpoints via co-management
Core features
What's inside Microsoft Intune
Device enrolment, Windows Autopilot, Apple ABM, Android Enterprise.
App deployment, Store, line-of-business and Microsoft 365 apps.
Mobile App Management, Protect data in apps without full enrolment.
Compliance policies, Define and enforce device health requirements.
Conditional Access, Native Entra integration for access control.
Configuration profiles, Granular OS and security settings.
Endpoint analytics, Device health and user-experience insights.
Defender integration, Risk signals feed compliance and access.
Remote actions, Wipe, retire, lock and reset across the fleet.
Intune Suite add-ons, Remote Help, EPM, Cloud PKI and more.
Choosing a plan
Simplified positioning, which plan fits
Each plan targets a distinct need. Plan 1 is the prerequisite, Plan 2 and the Suite layer on top of it.
The strategic view
The important difference between plans
Each step adds a different class of capability. Microsoft's own guidance: at three or more add-on components, the Suite is the cheaper choice.
Artiflex maps your M365 entitlements, device scenarios and security goals to the right plan during the assessment, and layers Zimperium for the mobile threat defense Intune does not provide natively.
Licensing
Microsoft Intune plan comparison
Intune uses an add-on model. Plan 1 is the UEM foundation (and is included in Microsoft 365 E3/E5 and EMS). Plan 2 and the Intune Suite are add-ons to Plan 1.
| Feature / Capability | Plan 1foundation | Plan 2add-on | Intune Suitepremium bundle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary positioning | Foundation UEM / MDM | Advanced device add-on | Full premium platform |
| MDM and MAM | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| App deployment and configuration profiles | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Compliance policies | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Conditional Access (Entra) integration | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cross-platform (Windows, iOS, Android, macOS) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows Autopilot provisioning | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Microsoft Tunnel for MAM (per-app VPN, no enrolment) | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Specialty and frontline device management | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Firmware Over-the-Air (FOTA) updates | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Remote Help | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Endpoint Privilege Management (EPM) | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Advanced Analytics | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Enterprise App Management | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Microsoft Cloud PKI | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Threat defense (MTD) | via Defender / partner | via Defender / partner | via Defender / partner |
| Included with | M365 E3/E5, EMS E3/E5 | Add-on to Plan 1 | Add-on to Plan 1 |
| Indicative list price (per user/mo) | ~$8 | +~$4 | +~$10 |
Indicative pricing and feature mapping reflect Microsoft's published licensing and may change. Microsoft's announced July 2026 repackaging adds Remote Help, Advanced Analytics and Intune Plan 2 to M365/EMS E3. Intune does not include native MTD, threat defense is via Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or a partner such as Zimperium.
Deployment Options
How we deliver Intune across UAE customers
Cloud-only (default)
Pure Intune SaaS managed through the Microsoft Endpoint admin centre. The standard for new deployments and the right answer for greenfield estates.
Co-managed with SCCM
Run Configuration Manager and Intune side-by-side, gradually shifting workloads to the cloud at your pace. The route for established Microsoft estates modernising endpoints.
Intune + Zimperium MTD
Pair Intune for management with Zimperium for on-device threat defense, with verdicts flowing into Intune compliance and Conditional Access.
Why Artiflex IT
Deploying Microsoft Intune across the UAE
For Microsoft-standardised organisations, Intune is frequently the right UEM foundation, and Artiflex deploys it end to end: enrolment design, Conditional Access policy, app packaging, compliance rules and reporting. Because Intune's threat defense relies on Defender or a partner, we typically layer Zimperium on top so the mobile programme is both fully managed and fully defended, mapped to NESA, UAE PDPL and ISO 27001.
Frequently asked
Microsoft Intune questions we hear from UAE buyers
Do we already own Intune through Microsoft 365?
Likely yes. Intune Plan 1 is included in Microsoft 365 E3, E5 and EMS E3/E5. Plan 2 and the Intune Suite are separate add-ons. Microsoft also announced a July 2026 repackaging that adds Remote Help, Advanced Analytics and Intune Plan 2 to M365/EMS E3, Artiflex confirms exact entitlements during scoping.
Get the most out of Microsoft Intune
Book a free mobile posture assessment and we will review your M365 estate, recommend the right UEM + MTD pairing, and share a three-year TCO comparison.