Why Businesses Use Microsoft Intune to Manage Apps on Smart Phones

In it's simplest form, Microsoft Intune is a mobile device management (MDM) app that allows businesses to install and remotely manage other apps and their data on smart phones. Remote management includes the ability to install and remove apps, remove associated data, and remotely wipe the device.

This post discusses why businesses use Microsoft Intune to manage apps on smart phones as well as what you should know about how it works.

Why Businesses Use Microsoft Intune to Manage Apps on Smart Phones

Intune is an app businesses can install on cell phones before they deploy them to users, or on user's personal cell phones to install business-owned apps. The control Intune has over the device depends on the ownership of the device.

If you own the device, as you are installing Intune, you answer questions about whether you own the device or it is owned by your employer. When you answer that it is your device, this limits the access Intune has, only allowing it to have control over those apps you install on the phone through Intune.

For example, if you were to leave the company, the company could use Intune to uninstall any apps that were installed via Intune. In this way, they recoup the applications and their associated licenses, and they can also wipe out the data that was stored within those apps. However, the remainder of your device would be left untouched and none of your other apps or device settings would be affected.

If you do not own the device, and instead it is provided to you by your employer, Intune will likely be set up for you before you receive the device. In this case, during the install of Intune, your employer would answer that the device is owned by the company and this allows Intune much greater access to the phone.

In this case, if you were to leave the company, and even in the case of a lost device, Intune can remotely remove all the data and apps off of the phone, or wipe the entire phone and return it to factory settings to prevent someone from gaining unauthorized access to any confidential data on the phone. Intune also allows the phone's location to be tracked on a company-owned device.

It is important to note that for Intune to deploy security measures, either on a privately owned or company owned device, the device needs to connect to the internet. This allows the device to receive any tasks assigned to the device via the Intune interface so it can carry them out.

How to install apps

• If you want to install apps run by your company, after you install Intune and accept the terms, open the Comp Portal app.

• Click on any of the apps listed in the portal to install.
• Continue installing apps until you are finished.

How to know Intune is installed on a company device

If you are using a company owned device and want to know if Intune was installed on the device, you can find this information in the settings on the phone.

• On an iPhone, open Settings and click on "General".
• In the General Tab, scroll down and click on "VPN & Device Management".

• In VPN & Device Management, check for a profile listed under the mobile device management (MDM) heading.
• If a profile exists, you can open it and look at the settings.

• In the profile, you can access apps and find other information about the MDM.

• If you click on "Apps" from within the profile, you will see all of the apps installed via Intune.

Intune is a MDM app from Microsoft that allows companies to install business apps on company or employee-owned phones. The level of security and access provided by Intune depends on who owns the device. If you install Intune on a personal device, it will only have control and access to those apps you install through the Comp Portal app. You can remove the MDM profile at any time on a personal device, but not from a company-owned device.

As always, understanding how these apps work, and what they have access to, is key in deciding if you want to use them.