My experience with ConfigMgr 2012 R2 SP1 and Intune in Hybrid scenario

Last months I did multiple ConfigMgr implementations in Hybrid scenario. That means that a Microsoft Intune (SAAS) subscription is connected, and ConfigMgr is set as Management Authority. Combining both solutions has a great benefit; managing all devices (desktops, notebooks, servers, Mac-clients and mobile devices) from a single management console. I did multiple blogposts on that as well, which are included in the end of this post. Let's have a closer look.

When the Microsoft Intune subscription is connected, configuration is needed for the different (mobile) platforms. They are not hard to configure, but needs different certificates for management. Let's have a look for the options available:
When enrolling Android devices no certificate is needed. Enrollment is done by installing the company portal. Downside is there's less to manage on this operating system. Both compliance policy and configuration items (less settings) can be configured. Not the best experience on this one for me. Depends on the device maybe?

When enrolling iOS devices an Apple Push Notification (APN) certificate is needed. This one is free and valid for 12 months. I like to enroll IPad's because of fast communication and great screen. Enrollment is done by installing the company portal. Optionally you can choose for DEP (Device Enrollment Program) and VPP (Volume Purchase Program) programs. That way you have over-the-air zero touch enrollment, and applications can be quickly installed without the need to have manually actions everytime. This because when doing required app deployment you must approve them one by one. With these programs this isn't needed anymore. Both compliance policy and configuration items (many settings) can be configured. Best experience for me so far.

When enrolling Windows Phone (WP) devices an Symantec certificate is needed (most of times). Enrollment is done by using workplace join and installing the company portal. For WP 8.1 devices the Symantec certificate is needed only for signing line-of-business apps. Enrollment is quick and easy, but I prefer the iOS way myself. When enrolling Windows 10 (Mobile) the behavior is same. Just by using workplace join, device management becomes available in ConfigMgr. Hope this experience becomes better in ConfigMgr 2016 (available soon) with Windows 10 (Mobile). That way Microsoft has the best solution available for device management. For some customers I like to use DEP and VPP for easy enrollment and app deploy. This because of over-the-air zero touch enrollment, and easy app installation.

On multiple operating systems I have almost same behavior for now. Enrollment and compliance settings are quick and easy. Configuration items however are slow and unstable. You can choose to deploy them to user/device collections (or both, depends on the setting?), but sometimes they work, sometimes not..
Example: I did an enrollment on an IPad, have the compliance policy in 1/2 minutes and the configuration baseline in 10/15 minutes. I installed some apps and they will be available on screen. After that I unenrolled the device. Apps are gone, configuration baseline is gone, compliance policy is not required anymore. Just great. Then I did another enrollment on the device. Have the compliance policy in 1/2 minutes again, did install the apps again. But the configuration baseline never come back again. That's sad and not reliable.

Hope this part will be better (and quicker) in a next release. For now I hope to do way more on Hybrid scenario :) Stay tuned for more!

Other blogposts about this topic:
How to reset your MDM authority in Microsoft Intune

Note: Most captures in Dutch, sorry for that :)

You do not have permission to manage Extensions for Windows Intune

When the following warning is seen in ConfigMgr console: "You do not have permission to manage Extensions for Windows intune. You need All scope permissions to manage these extensions", just take the following action. It's not that hard to chance at all ;)

Just login ConfigMgr console (with another Administrator account then the one which gives the warning), and go to Administration > Security > Administrative Users. Select the account which gives the warning, choose properties, Security Scopes, and select "All instances of the objects that are related to the assigned security roles".

By default this option is on "Only the instances of objects that are assigned to the specified security scopes or collections". After changing the option, and starting the ConfigMgr console with the Administrator account used before, you will see that Extensions for Windows intune are available now. What I say before, not that hard at all ;)

Hope it helps!

Microsoft Unified Technology Event for Enterprises is coming!

After ending Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) last year, now same will be happen to Microsoft TechEd. No worries, this time a new event is scheduled, which will be the successor of both events. It's called "Unified Technology Event for Enterprises" or UTEE if you like. So TechEd Europe in October 2014, Barcelona will be last one in the series. Let's hear what Microsoft has to say about this:

 

If you’ve attended TechEd, SharePoint Conference, Microsoft Exchange Conference, Lync Conference, Project Conference or Microsoft Management Summit, this the place for you to be. It’s everything you’ve come to know and love and more. You’ll find what you’re familiar with and you’ll learn more about Office 365, Microsoft Lync, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Visio, Microsoft Azure, Windows Server, Microsoft System Center, Windows Intune, Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Studio, and Windows and lots more.

Sounds huge isn't it? There will be One single event in May 2015, Chicago. If there will be additional events in the rest of the world isn't clear to me. The only Microsoft-owned events left will be WPC, BUILD, and UTEE for it seems. All other conferences will be rolled up into this new one. More details about UUTE will be revealed in September. Note that "Unified Technology Event for Enterprises" is not the official name for the event, the final name has not yet been revealed. I'm curious what the new name will be.. Let's call it UNIFY or MANAGE.

See you in May 2015, Chicago hopefully! :-)

Source: Server & Cloud blog

Windows Intune v5 implementation experiences

Last week I did a proof of concept on Windows Intune v5 (5.0.2000.0) at customer location. During implementation I did the following experiences on functionality. Pity that Intune still is missing enterprise-ready functionality, but that will be better end of year. Have a look at the Intune roadmap for that. Let's have a look at the implementation experiences. It's not all bad :)
 

• Enrollment and retirement on Windows, Windows Phone, iOS and Android all goes fine (almost realtime), but sometimes retirement takes a lot of time. Microsoft is working on that to make it quicker. It can take up to 24 hours or 30 days total at the moment.
• When you want to have remote wipe functionality on notebooks (or tablets with Windows on it), just make usage of Windows 8.1. That way don't install the Intune agent, but enroll it as a mobile device. Very nice you can have remote wipe on notebooks either!
• When using Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) there's single sign-on in place. Without ADFS you must fill-in account details every x minutes all over again. Really annoying if you ask me. Maybe DirSync will be a solution for this also. Does anyone know?
• Policies cannot be enforced from the Intune console. Sometimes it can take a while before the policy will be applied, even when you want a remote wipe on the device. Hope there will be a force button in a later release. When synchronize from the mobile device, policy is refreshed immediately. Strange, because you want to force a full wipe quick if your device is missing or stolen.
• Application blacklisting/whitelisting isn't available yet. You can set a deny on the app store (iOS 6+, Windows Phone 8.1) but there's no option to decide which apps may (not) be installed. This is on the roadmap for Q4 this year. Should be great if you can publish apps and app-links, without the need/permission to use the app store.
• Applications can be deployed optional only for users, no way to enforce the deployment. When IT support want to pre-config devices, you want bulk-enrollment for apps and policies, without to fill-in credentials on the app store (Microsoft, Apple, Google). This is on the roadmap for Q4 this year either. Fingers crossed :)
• The user stays in control of the device, and has the possibility to remove the Intune agent also. That way you're not in control of all devices anymore. Should be better if you can deny this I think? It depends if devices are personally or company owned. It would be great if you get an alert on this, that way you know if devices are missing.

 
I still think Windows Intune is (too) light in functionality, when Intune must be the successor of ConfigMgr, there's missing a lot. But..

Later this year there will be bulk enrollment, application blacklisting/ whitelisting, remote lock, secure mail, secure browser, Exchange and OneDrive for business, managed Office apps, app wrapper for iOS and Android, and multiple secure viewers.

Given the fact that the ConfigMgr team is same as the Intune team (and most resources are on Intune, because Microsoft still has a lot of catching up to do, and ConfigMgr is in a finished, almost perfect state), there will fast development on Intune for the next months.

Let's say it again: The future looks bright for Windows Intune!

New features in Windows Intune coming soon..

A few months ago the Windows Intune roadmap was published during a Partner Session in February. There were some very interesting features announced, which will make Windows Intune way more advanced then in earlier versions. Because I'm doing a lot of implementation next coming months, it would be great when features are coming in soon. Let's have a look which features are announced during MS TechEd NA 2014.

As a cloud service, Windows Intune is updated on a regular basis, roughly every quarter. We’re currently rolling out an update to the Windows Intune service which provides support for Windows Phone 8.1 and Samsung KNOX Standard (formerly Samsung SAFE) support. In Q3, we will add support for Windows 8.1 Update settings specific to “family safety” which are useful for education environments. 

In Q4, we’ll be releasing major new functionality specifically focused on managed mobile productivity (managed applications and data protection) and IT enhancements, including bulk enrollment and support for Apple Configurator.

Intune will support the ability to bulk enroll iOS and Android (no Windows Phone?) devices, and use a single Intune service account to enroll the devices instead of having separate IDs for each device, since they are not associated with a user each. For iOS, Intune will support Apple’s Device Enrollment Program to do this bulk enrollment.

 

Intune will also support the ability to configure iOS devices using the Apple Configurator tool, allowing more granular and enforced “lock down” policies through the iOS Supervisor mode. This is especially useful in education scenarios where the student should not be able to un-enroll the device or when more stringent management is required (sounds good!). Additional settings include the ability to allow or block a specific set of applications and URL addresses.

Microsoft’s approach is more natural – build manageability and data protection into the apps which people choose to use, and extend that capability for enterprises to use with their own apps. To do this, we will deliver a unique container solution that is different from the traditional containers offered by other mobile device management solutions on the market.

The future looks bright for Windows Intune!
Source: Windows Intune Team

Direct management of Android devices in Windows Intune

Within Windows Intune it's possible to manage (mobile) devices. Because an agent is installed, we can use Direct management instead of Exchange ActiveSync (EAS), which is limited. When Windows Intune v5.0 was released, it was needed to have ConfigMgr 2012 R2 integration configured. Otherwise new functionality (selective wipe, Android support, advanced policies) were not available. With the latest update however these are within Intune standalone now also. Let's have a look how to enroll an Android device (for example).

In this situation I'm using a HP SlateBook 10 x2 PC with Android 4.2 installed on it. Just browse in Google Play and search for "Windows Intune". When installed credentials must be given. Just logon with your Intune credentials (which are [user]@[domain].onmicrosoft.com) and enrollment is done already. When applications and/or policies are deployed, they will be activated within 5 minutes. Same for properties on the device in Admin console. Just give it a minute :-)

Policy is not applied as expected

Pros:
- It's really easy setup, especially on Android devices. No certificates needed at all.
- Enrollment of devices is almost real-time. Retirement is done within approximately 15 minutes.
- APK files can be downloaded for free, without the need to register them or install a certificate.
- Remote Lock and/or Passcode Reset, which are added in the last update.

Cons:
- Retirement is done within 24 hours max. That will be way faster in a later update.
- Every [?] minutes you must fill-in credentials again on Intune console and Company portal.
- Focus is on Microsoft and iOS, not that much on Android. Almost no settings available.
- When retire the device, apps and data remain installed which were installed by Intune before.

No Required install because greyed out

When deploying apps you can choose for a Available install only. No Required install or Uninstall can be choosen. Maybe the're for Windows Operating Systems only!? Pity that this isn't possible.

Next time I will use my iPad for enrollment. Hope that will give me more control on the device.. On Android I can enable passwords, encryption and disable the camera. That's all? Yes for now..

The Windows Intune roadmap 2014 can be found HERE.

The future of ConfigMgr is uncertain for sure!

You all heard the news, Wally Mead, the foremost authority on System Center Configuration Manager (SMS/SCCM/ConfigMgr) and a leading figure within the community, will leave after spending over 22 years with Microsoft. Because of that it's almost like ConfigMgr died too! This emphasizes how Microsoft is changing. ConfigMgr is strictly an on-premises technology and Microsoft is moving us all to the Cloud.
 

 

So after killing Microsoft Management Summit (MMS), this seems to be the next step for Microsoft. Let's have a look at the changes coming. It all has to do with Mobile First/Cloud First vision.
 
Starting this year we are merging MMS with TechEd
Over the past 11 years, the Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) has grown from a small user group event focused on systems management and managing PCs, to a large and passionate gathering of the world’s best and brightest IT Pros. Now it’s time to look ahead to the next step for our industry and this community. Starting this year we are merging MMS with TechEd.. (and so it will be)
 
After merging MMS with TechEd rumours say 2014 could be the last year Microsoft holds a TechEd event.
 
No MS TechEd next year anymore?
If the rumors are right, this year's TechEd may be the last. The content at TechEd North America this year also is expected to include some management-specifc tracks, as the Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) is now being folded into this show. (If MMS content is available on TechEd Europe too is not sure)
 

During the TechEd 2014 Keynote Sneak Peek the message was clear for all IT Pros: Go Cloud or go home.
 
TechEd 2014 Keynote Sneak Peek
Intune is ConfigMgr delivered from the cloud. Last Fall we created a strong connection between both of them for use in a hybrid cloud model. Today there are more than 10k customers using Intune to manage their PCs and devices. The choice is yours: Do you want to manage on-prem or from the cloud -- we give you the option to do either. (For how long it takes)
 
Given the fact that the ConfigMgr team is same as the Intune team (and most resources are on Intune, because Microsoft still has a lot of catching up to do, and ConfigMgr is in a finished, almost perfect state), there will be less development on ConfigMgr for the next years. You can see this in the Windows Intune Roadmap also. Focus is on Windows Intune as a cloud solution, not providing functionality which need ConfigMgr integration anymore. (Richer cloud-only MDM capabilities, Full MDM parity in Windows Intune standalone)
 
And also: With the added development focus (at the expense of ConfigMgr), it won't be long before Windows Intune is an exact match, further blurring the lines of how endpoints are managed. If Microsoft can show that managing on-premise endpoints from the Cloud is viable, ConfigMgr could be history.
 

And now, Wally Mead, the Face of ConfigMgr, Leaves Microsoft after 22 Years. Thanks Wally for being a great inspiration for me, and good luck with your new job as Principal Program Manager at Cireson!
 
Microsoft's Wally Mead Joins Cireson as Principal Program Manager
Wally Mead, pioneer of Configuration Manager, joins Cireson and strengthens the growing System Center focused organization.

Wally Mead, the Face of ConfigMgr, Leaves Microsoft after 22 Years
During one conversation with Wally, he indicated that when Microsoft decided to push ConfigMgr completely into the Cloud, it would be time for him to retire. I won't state that Wally leaving Microsoft indicates anything more than a simple professional change, but it is interesting timing since we're anticipating roadmap announcements at TechEd 2014 in a couple weeks.
 
Rod Trent (CEO & Founder at myITforum.com, Inc.) reacted on the topic with: I think it's safe to put it this way: MMS is dead. Microsoft is moving us all to the Cloud. And, Wally Mead has left Microsoft.
 
So.. The future of ConfigMgr is uncertain. Let's move to the cloud now, that's the message! Lucky me I will do a lot on Intune next months..

Windows Intune Roadmap - Partner Session Feb 2014

Last month I get an invite for the Windows Intune Roadmap. This remote session was for partners only, to show the User and Device Management Roadmap. No big update once or twice a year, but small monthly updates to bring Intune on-speed sooner. Let's have a look at new features which are coming in next months.

Above features are implemented already. With Richer cloud-only MDM capabilities, Microsoft wants same functionality in Windows Intune standalone as hybrid configuration (for example: Android support, email profile configuration and selective wipe). No need to integrate with ConfigMgr 2012 R2 that way for these features.

Even more features will be available in the next coming months. Windows Intune will be more advanced and mature that way. At the moment it feels sometimes if functionality is missing. That will be improved when above roadmap is functional. Hope that Intune will be competitive with other MDM solutions soon.

No System Center and Intune fusion [yet] for it seems! :)

Support for Windows Intune Trial Management of Windows RT

Last year I wrote a blogpost about Windows Intune Trial Management of Windows Phone 8. When using Windows Intune for demo usage and want to test Windows Phone 8 a certificate is needed. This can be resolved by using "Support Tool for Windows Intune Trial Management of Window Phone 8".

This time there's a workaround for Windows RT sideloading keys also.

Developer license successfully renewed

Use the PowerShell cmdlet "Show-WindowsDeveloperLicenseRegistration" to activate sideloading on Windows. This will enable Windows Intune to install apps without a sideloading key being set up. The limitations are that it requires a manual process on the client to activate sideloading, the license is only for 30 days (but can be renewed by running the cmdlet again), and the Windows team reserve the right to act if they feel the developer license registration is being abused.

Support Tool for Windows Intune Trial Management of Window Phone 8

When using Windows Intune for demo usage and want to test Windows Phone 8 a certificate is needed. This can be resolved by using "Support Tool for Windows Intune Trial Management of Window Phone 8". This tool facilitates Microsoft System Center 2012 Configuration Manager admins and Windows Intune admins to try out Windows Phone 8 software distribution scenarios during the Trial period.

The downloaded support tool contains a script that populates a sample Application Enrollment Token in the Microsoft System Center 2012 Configuration Manager environment, a sample Windows Phone 8 Company Portal app, and two sample applications that can be used for WP8 software distribution scenarios.

Operation is finished successfully

Download link and Install instructions: Microsoft Download Center

How to Set Mobile Device Management Authority

In Windows Intune you can choose to set the Mobile Device Management Authority for Mobile Device Management. The Mobile Device Management Authority can be set to Windows Intune OR System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM/ConfigMgr). Consider carefully whether you want to manage mobile devices by using Windows Intune only or SCCM with Windows Intune Integration. After you set the mobile device management authority to either of these options, this cannot be changed.

In Windows Intune you can set the Mobile Device Management Authority from within the Admin Console. More information about this choice can be found on Microsoft TechNet.

1.Open the Windows Intune administrator console.
2.In the workspace shortcuts pane, click the Administration icon.
3.In the navigation pane, click Mobile Device Management Setup.
4.In the Tasks list on the Policy Overview page, click Set Mobile Device Management Authority.
5.The Set Mobile Device Management Authority dialog box appears, and it prompts you to choose whether to use Windows Intune to manage the mobile devices in your account. Do one of the following: Click Yes to use Windows Intune to manage mobile devices for your account. If you set Windows Intune as the management authority, you must manage mobile devices by using the Windows Intune administrator console.
Important: If you plan to use SCCM to manage mobile devices for your account, do not set the mobile device management authority to Windows Intune. To set the mobile device management authority to SCCM, you must use your organizational account to create a Windows Intune subscription from within the SCCM console, and select the option to allow Configuration Manager to manage the subscription.

In SCCM you can set the Mobile Device Management Authority from within the Administration pane. More information about this can be found on Microsoft TechNet.

1.In the Configuration Manager console, click Administration.
2.For System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1: In the Administration workspace, expand Hierarchy Configuration, and click Windows Intune Subscriptions.
For System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager: In the Administration workspace, expand Cloud Services, and click Windows Intune Subscriptions.
3.For System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1: On the Home tab, in the Create group, click Create Windows Intune Subscription.
System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager: On the Home tab, click Add Windows Intune Subscription.
4.On the Introduction page of the Create Windows Intune Subscription Wizard, review the text and click Next.
5.On the Subscription page, click Sign in and sign in by using your Windows Intune organizational account. Select the Allow the Configuration Manager console to manage this subscription check box. When you select this setting, you will only be able to manage mobile devices by using the Configuration Manager console. To continue with your subscription, you must select this option.
Important: Once you select Configuration Manager as your management authority, you cannot change the management authority to Windows Intune in the future.

In case of bad decision it's possible to contact Microsoft Support on this to reset the Mobile Device Management Authority for your account. In that case all managed computers and/or mobile devices must be removed from Windows Intune. After the reset it's possible to set the Mobile Device Management Authority again.

New System Center 2012 R2 releases available now!

As from yesterday (10/17/2013) new System Center 2012 R2 releases are available! Just go to Microsoft TechNet or MSDN and download the bits. You can also download Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1 (RT) as from yesterday.

At last Windows Intune v5 will be available later today!

Still happy with my MS TechNet subscription for MCT's! :) Expect more blogposts on this topic soon.

Update: Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2013 available now!
Update: Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) for Windows 8.1 available now!

Update 19-10: The Hydration Kit for ConfigMgr 2012 R2 is available for download
Update 22-10: Windows Intune v5 is same as v4.0.14221.0



Next Release of Windows Intune (v5) coming in 3 days!

During Microsoft TechEd Europe in June 2013, the next release of Windows Intune (Wave E) is announced. This release will focus on deeper System Center integration, more consistent experiences across different mobile devices, and better data protection. Windows Intune 5.0 will offer direct management for Android also, so no need to use EAS for that anymore.

Here is what we know so far:
 -Choice between Company-owned or Personal-owned to decide management
-Native self-service portal apps for Windows, iOS and Android devices
-Registering and Enrolling devices through the cloud
-Deploy VPN profile and Wi-Fi profile policies and configurations
-Supports more policies on all supported device types
-Selectively and remotely wipe corporate data from managed devices

It will be coming in 3 days (Oct. 18) when Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows System Center 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1 is released. Stay tuned for more news next week!

Mark Your Calendars for Oct. 18: The R2 Wave is Coming!

Reminder: Microsoft will release Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows System Center 2012 R2 and the latest update to Windows Intune in 3 days (Oct. 18), the same day Windows 8.1 will be released.

According to Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Windows Server and System Center Brad Anderson, it’s no coincidence that all four updates will be available on the same day. This will be done every time from now on! You can read more about it In the Cloud blog.

Recent posts about this topic:
Updates and New Features in ConfigMgr 2012 R2 (about System Center 2012 R2, Windows 8.1 and Windows Intune v5)

Back from vacation again! (2013)

After 3 weeks enjoying my vacation, partly in Denmark which is a beautiful country, it's time to take up some activities again. What did I miss last month? Well, their is some interesting news from Microsoft to mention. Let's have a look.
 
Windows 8.1 availability set for October 18
I know a lot of folks are eager to find out when they will be able to get Windows 8.1. I am excited to share that starting at 12:00am on October 18th in New Zealand (that’s 4:00am October 17th in Redmond), Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1 will begin rolling out worldwide as a free update for consumers with Windows 8 or Windows RT devices through the Windows Store. Windows 8.1 will also be available at retail and on new devices starting on October 18th by market. So mark your calendars!
 
Windows Server 2012 R2, System Center 2012 R2 and other updates are also coming October 18
I'm excited to announce that, on the same day, eligible customers will be able to download Windows Server 2012 R2 and System Center 2012 R2, as well as the latest update to Windows Intune! We’ll make evaluation versions available through the TechNet Evaluation Center, and these products will be available for new purchases when they hit the price list on November 1st.
 
Free ebook: Introducing Windows Server 2012 R2 Preview Release
We’re very excited to announce another free ebook offering from Microsoft Press. Introducing Windows Server 2012 R2 Preview Release (ISBN 9780735682931), by Mitch Tulloch with the Windows Server Team, introduces new features and capabilities, with scenario-based advice on how the platform can meet the needs of your business. Get the high-level overview you need to begin preparing your deployment now. This book is based on the Preview release and will be updated to cover Windows Server 2012 R2 RTM. 

Steve Ballmer email to Microsoft employees on Nokia Devices & Services acquisition
We announced some exciting news today: We have entered into an agreement to purchase Nokia’s Devices & Services business, which includes their smartphone and mobile phone businesses, their award-winning design team, manufacturing and assembly facilities around the world, and teams devoted to operations, sales, marketing and support. For Microsoft, this is a bold step into the future and the next big phase of the transformation we announced on July 11.

It will be exciting weeks/months to come!

TechEd 2013 North America announcements

Last week TechEd 2013 North America was held in New Orléans. Instead of Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) this year, there were a lot of announcements to make. In this blogpost I will mention the highlights, and what to expect for the next months. It will be a great year with lot's of new functionality!

What can we expect later this year?

• Windows Server 2012 R2
• System Center 2012 R2
• Windows Intune 5.0 (Wave E)
• SQL Server 2014 (wow, that's fast!)
• Windows 8.1 (with Outlook RT)
• Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2013

There will also be new features available:

• Windows Azure Pack for Windows Server
• Intune: Workplace join, Selective wipe, Android support
• Azure: No charge for stopped VM's, per minute billing
• Azure: Live migration Compression (faster then default)
• Azure: Live migration RDMA (faster then Compression)
• Hyper-V recovery manager (site by site replication)

Hope you are as excited as I do!

How to change language in Windows Intune Console?

A while ago I installed Windows Intune for our company. When you setup your account, and choose Dutch for region, all consoles will be displayed in Dutch by default. But what to do when you want to change language to English? This because my Windows 8 system is installed in English language also. I don't want a Dutch language on my device for doing management :)

Here are the steps which must be taken.

First open the Admin Overview for Windows Intune and choose My profile. Within My profile it's possible to change your Display language to English (for example). Just choose save and your done!? Yes, partly! When opening the Company Portal or Admin Console they will be still displayed in Dutch language. This because of Internet Explorer settings. That settings must be changed also.

Open Properties - Internet options for that in Internet Explorer. Choose Languages - Set Language Preferences. Just make sure English (for example) is the first choice in the list here. In my case it was set to Dutch first, and English as a second choice. Just choose Move up and you're done. The Company Portal or Admin Console will also be in English from now on!

Much better this way :)

One management product to rule them all

As mentioned in my other blogposts, Service Pack 1 for System Center 2012 will become available in Q1 2013. With SP1 for ConfigMgr 2012 (which is part of System Center) a lot of new functionality is added to this already awesome product. In this blogpost I created an overview of all ConfigMgr Client support for this product. Expect a lot of new possibilities: One product to manage them all.

ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 will do management on the following OSEs:
 
Client devices:

• Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista SP2, 
• Windows 7 (SP1), Windows 8
• Windows To Go

Server devices:

• Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2
• Windows Server 2008 SP2, Windows Server 2008 R2 (SP1)
• Windows Server 2012

Thin Clients based on Windows XP SP3:

• Windows Embedded Standard 2009
• Windows XP Embedded SP3
• Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (WinFLP)
• Windows Embedded POSReady 2009
• WEPOS 1.1 with SP3

Thin Clients based on Windows 7:

• Windows Embedded Standard 7 with SP1
• Windows Embedded POSReady 7
• Windows Thin PC (SA benefit)

MAC Computers:

• Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard), Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion)

Linux and UNIX Servers:

• AIX version 5.3, 6.1, 7.1
• HP-UX version 11iv2, 11iv3
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) version 4, 5, 6
• Solaris version 9, 10, 11
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) version 9, 10 SP1, 11

Mobile devices (Depth management):

• Windows Mobile 6.1, Windows Mobile 6.5 (phones)
• Nokia Symbian Belle (phones)

EAS connected Mobile devices (Light management):

• Windows Phone 7
• Android, iOS (phones and tablets)

Windows Intune integration (Depth management): 

• Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 8
• Windows Runtime (RT) tablets
• Android, iOS (phones and tablets)

Are you excited yet about all Operating Systems which can be managed? With ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 (and Windows Intune integration) all modern OSEs can be managed for Servers, Clients, Thin Clients and Mobiles. Installing ConfigMgr is not about managing Windows clients anymore, it's about managing a whole range of devices. The future is bright!

Resources: Supported Configurations for Configuration Manager

ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 is coming out early 2013

On the Server & Cloud blog the following is mentioned:
"Look for availability of System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1 and the next release of Windows Intune in early 2013."

Support for Windows Server 2012, SQL Server 2012 and Windows 8 must wait till early 2013 I guess. I hope the release will be much sooner than this, because Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012 Update 1 already supports these Operations Systems.

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2012 Update 1 is the newest version of MDT, a Solution Accelerator for operating system and application deployment. MDT 2012 Update 1 supports deployment of Windows 8, Windows 7, Office 2010 and 365, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2008 R2 in addition to deployment of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP.

Look for more on Microsoft TechNet: System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1 Beta and Windows Intune Update

MDT 2012 Update 1 can be download right now: HERE.

Next Release of Windows Intune announced!

Today the Next Release of Windows Intune is announced. The Next Release of Windows Intune is adding new client management capabilities as it relates to System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) Service Pack 1 (SP1) Beta.

Microsoft offers two separate endpoint management solutions – System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) for on-premises management, and Windows Intune for management through the cloud.  With ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 and the next version of Windows Intune, Microsoft is taking the first step in delivering interoperability between these products through Configuration Manager’s administration console. 

This will enable customers to add mobile devices managed through the cloud with Windows Intune into their ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 console and manage all the devices through one tool. While you can continue to use Windows Intune as a "fully in the cloud" management solution for PC and mobile device management, the interoperability of Microsoft's on-premises and cloud services is a big step forward for organizations that want to manage all of their devices from one place.

To evaluate the current release of Windows Intune, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial of Windows Intune at the Microsoft website.   

Brad Anderson mentioned during MMS 2012 in Las Vegas already: Regarding Windows Intune and ConfigMgr: "as we go forward we are going to bring these two closer together".

Great to see that ConfigMgr 2012 and Windows Intune now works together to manage both on-premises and through the cloud! Look for availability of ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 and the next release of Windows Intune in early 2013.

More information about Windows Intune can be found HERE.