Comparing Mobile Device Management Technologies

Mobile devices can be managed by three different Microsoft technologies that offer a range of features depending on which technology is used, and often what type of device is connecting to the service. This chart shows a comparison of manageable features for Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) in Exchange Server and the Microsoft-hosted Exchange Online, the Office 365 mobile device management (MDM) technology offered free with many Office 365 enterprise plans, and the Microsoft-hosted Intune client management service. The capabilities offered by EAS, Office 365 device management, and Intune vary by the hardware and OS on the connecting device. EAS capabilities also vary depending on the version of Exchange and the Client Access License (CAL) available to the connecting user or device.

Office 365 MDM and Intune use the EAS protocol for some management functions, but they also use other protocols and, in general, offer more capabilities than Exchange Server and Exchange Online do through EAS. Intune is the most capable of the three options and can be upgraded by Microsoft from an organization’s Exchange Online or Office 365 tenancy.