Intune Licensing Changes Significantly

[March 16, 2015 note: A more recent version of this report, updated to reflect licensing changes, can be found at www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/licensing/secured/2015/03/intune-packaging-licensing-and-pricing.]

The Windows Intune online management subscription service began receiving an update in Dec. 2012 and has a new licensing model—per-user rather than per-device—which helps customers with “bring your own device” (BYOD) scenarios. In addition, there are now lower-cost options for customers who do not want (or do not need) to acquire Software Assurance (SA) on Windows or who already have Configuration Manager deployed. New capabilities to couple Intune to System Center management deployments and the new licensing options might persuade existing Microsoft customers to use Intune for PC and device management.

Intune Starts Out as a Per-Device Subscription

Since its introduction, Intune has undergone several updates and changes, including changes to the licensing terms.

The Windows Intune service was introduced in 2011 as an online subscription service hosted at Microsoft but operated by customer administrators or managed service providers. Initially focused on managing Windows PCs, Intune provides software update management, PC monitoring and remote assistance, hardware and software inventorying, and security policy management. Intune also delivers basic protection from malware for Windows PCs. In mid-2012, Windows Intune gained mobile device management capabilities for Windows Phone 7, Android, and iOS devices using the Exchange ActiveSync protocol.