Without on-premise infrastructure, you have the option to manage your Windows 10 devices remotely using Windows Autopilot. Windows Autopilot is a collection of technologies that provides administrators and end users alike with a modern experience when deploying, repurposing, or resetting devices.
Autopilot, together with Intune, creates a cloud management experience. One of the benefits of an Autopilot deployment is the ability to drop-ship new devices from manufacturers directly to field staff. When the remote worker receives the device, they simply have to boot it, connect to the internet, and enter their AAD identity. The Autopilot framework allows the laptop to identify that it belongs to a specific Microsoft 365 tenant and begin the AAD device join process. During this process, it downloads software and policies assigned to the user.
However, with co-management, this experience can be even better. Co-management allows administrators to ensure that all devices have the same end state, including Intune device enrollment (which provides the additional previously mentioned co-management features) as well as the CM client for any on-premise management activities. You don't have to maintain specific device images as you did with legacy deployment models since Autopilot leverages the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)-optimized edition of Windows that is already pre-installed on the device. During the autopilot enrollment, devices are automatically upgraded to Windows 10 Enterprise and all of the Enterprise-based features are enabled.
Autopilot with CM also enables streamlined device upgrade processes from previous versions of Windows.
When deploying devices using Autopilot, the following steps are required:
- Register devices:
- When purchasing devices from supported OEMs, the OEM performs the device registration. When purchasing from resellers, distributors, or partners that are members of the Cloud Solution Partners (CSP) program, they can also register the devices on behalf of the customer.
- Existing devices running Windows 10 can be automatically enrolled if they are using a Mobile Device Management (MDM) service such as Intune.
- Existing devices may also be manually enrolled by capturing the hardware ID and uploaded to the Windows Autopilot service.
- Create device profiles: Profile settings need to be set up to adjust experiences such as skipping the End User License Agreement (EULA) page, automatically setting up work or school accounts, or disabling local admin account creation.
- Create user/group or device-based profiles and configure and customize the device using Intune: This can help meet business needs such as installing certain group- or department-specific applications or configuring specific settings, as shown in the following screenshot:
- Boot the devices: Connect to the internet and sign in using an Azure identity to complete the configuration.
In order to use all the modern co-management capabilities and features, CM must be updated to the current branch.
We have covered some of the differences between the legacy or traditional Windows management techniques and modern Windows management, including Intune and CM, as well as the benefits of shifting to modern operating system management.
Next, we'll begin looking at transitioning existing on-premise productivity applications such as Exchange and SharePoint to the Microsoft 365 platform.