Free Consultation!
Embrace Summer Productivity with New Microsoft Intune Capabilities
Summer in the Northeastern United States is a beautiful but fleeting season. The sunny days are a constant invitation to step away from the PC and enjoy the outdoors. Balancing work with the desire to soak in the summer sun can be challenging. For me, the solution lies in leveraging technology to stay focused and efficient, ensuring that I can get my work done and still find time to enjoy the season.
One way I maintain this balance is by using features like “Do Not Disturb” mode in Microsoft Teams to carve out uninterrupted work time. Another is relying on Microsoft Copilot transcriptions to catch up on meetings and content without sacrificing my productivity. In this spirit, I’m excited to share three new capabilities in Microsoft Intune designed to enhance focus and productivity. These tools not only help me but can also assist you and your teams in making the most of your workday, leaving more time to enjoy the sunshine.
Focus on Productivity with Microsoft Managed Home Screen
For frontline workers, mobile devices can be powerful tools to boost productivity. However, managing these devices to ensure that users remain focused on essential tasks is crucial. This is where the Managed Home Screen in Microsoft Intune comes into play. This feature allows IT administrators to create a customizable launcher that restricts users’ access to only the necessary applications, keeping their attention on critical operations.
Previously, the Managed Home Screen was only available for user-less kiosks or shared devices. Now, it’s expanding to corporate-owned, fully managed devices assigned to specific users, broadening its applicability across various use cases. This capability ensures that frontline workers have the tools they need while minimizing distractions, leading to improved efficiency and focus.
Focus on Performance with Resource Reporting
In IT management, understanding the performance of physical Windows devices is invaluable, both for support teams and purchasing departments. The new resource reporting feature in Intune Advanced Analytics provides a detailed view of processor performance and RAM usage across Windows PCs. Instead of relying on subjective reports of sluggish machines, IT admins can now use data-driven insights to identify and resolve performance issues.
This feature consolidates performance data into an easy-to-read Resource Performance Score, offering recommendations for improvements. IT admins can quickly spot devices experiencing CPU or RAM spikes, evaluate performance across different models, and make informed decisions about hardware replacements. Additionally, purchasing teams can use these insights when negotiating with OEMs, ensuring they get the best value for their investments.
Resource reporting is available through the Microsoft Intune Suite or as a standalone add-on for Advanced Analytics.
Focus on Functionality with Enhanced Apple Device Settings
Apple device management is a critical aspect of many organizations’ IT strategies. With the upcoming releases of macOS 15 and iOS/iPadOS 18, Microsoft Intune is expanding its support for Apple devices by leveraging settings from Apple’s GitHub repository. This ensures that IT admins have access to comprehensive settings management as soon as new operating systems are released.
The updates include settings for declarative device management and mobile device management policies, with restrictions on new Apple Intelligence features. These enhancements will be ready for configuration upon release, allowing organizations to maintain control over their Apple devices seamlessly. Keep an eye out for an in-depth blog post from our engineering team next month, detailing these new settings and payloads.
Conslusion
These new Intune features are designed to help you and your teams stay focused, maintain productivity, and make the most of your workday—so you can enjoy the summer without compromising on your tasks. Whether it’s managing frontline workers’ devices, keeping tabs on Windows performance, or ensuring seamless Apple device management, these tools are here to support your productivity and let you get outside more often.
REQUEST A CALL BACK.
Request a Callback. Interested in discussing your IT consulting needs with an expert? Simply provide your contact information, and we’ll reach out to you soon
You’re welcome to contact us that way too.