Is Microsoft Intune Suite Worth It for Your Business?
It's 9am on a Monday and one of your team members has lost their laptop on the weekend. It had client files on it. You're not sure if it was encrypted. You don't know how to wipe it remotely, or whether that's even possible. This is exactly the kind of situation that Microsoft Intune is designed to prevent from becoming a disaster.
Most professional services businesses now have staff using a mix of devices - laptops, phones, tablets, some personal, some business-owned. Managing all of that securely is harder than it sounds. When devices aren't centrally managed, you lose visibility over who has access to what, whether software is up to date, and whether sensitive client data is properly protected. Under the NZ Privacy Act 2020, your business has obligations around how client information is stored and accessed. A lost, unmanaged device can put you in breach of those obligations fast.
Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based platform that lets you manage all of your business devices from a single dashboard. You can push security policies across every device, control which apps staff can use, and remotely wipe a device if it's lost or stolen - without touching it. The upgraded Microsoft Intune Suite adds a few things that matter particularly for small professional services businesses: secure remote support so an engineer can help a staff member without needing to be physically present, a VPN solution for staff accessing business systems from personal phones, and stronger controls over who can install or run software on managed devices.
What this looks like in practice is a working day where you're not worrying about whether your receptionist's phone has auto-updated its apps, or whether your remote bookkeeper is connecting through a secure channel. Devices that don't meet your security standards can be blocked from accessing business systems automatically. New staff can have their device set up and compliant before they walk in the door. Understanding why most breaches are entirely preventable gives useful context for why these controls matter.
Whether Intune Suite is the right fit depends on what you're already running. If your business is already using Microsoft 365 Business Premium, you may have access to the core version of Intune without realising it. The Suite itself is an add-on, and it's worth knowing what you're paying for before upgrading. If you have older systems or a more complex setup, getting the configuration right takes some thought. That's not a reason to avoid it - it's a reason to have someone who knows what they're doing handle the setup. A managed IT provider with cybersecurity expertise can assess your current environment, handle the rollout, and make sure devices are enrolled correctly from day one. You can read more about how device and security management fits into a broader managed IT support arrangement for professional services businesses.
ITstuffed works with professional services businesses in Canterbury to get this kind of setup right. If you're not sure whether your current device management is leaving you exposed, a 15-minute IT Fit Check is a good place to start.