Why Microsoft Intune Plan 1 Device product has dependency with Microsoft Entra P1 License

Question

We are looking to use Microsoft Intune Plan 1 Device to manage the devices (Please note this per device license, not per user). However to be able to use this Microsoft Intune Plan 1 Device license, the minimum requirement is the Entra tenant must be on Microsoft Entra P1 plan. We don't plan to purchase P1 licenses. However since per device Intune license didn't work, we are forced to purchase the P1 license, but we are not using any of P1 licenses for any purpose, it's there to just to reflect tenant Plan to be P1 to make Intune to work. Why there is a dependency with Microsoft Entra P1 to use Microsoft Intune Plan 1 license?

Is there any alternative to avoid purchasing Entra P1 license just to make Microsoft Intune Plan 1 license work?

Answer 1

@Vasant Horapeti, Thanks for posting in Q&A. Microsoft Intune device licenses are applicable when a device is enrolled through any of the following methods:

• Windows Autopilot Self-Deploying mode
• Apple Device Enrollment Program without user affinity
• Apple School Manager without user affinity
• Apple Configurator without user affinity
• Android Enterprise dedicated
• Using a device enrollment manager account

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/intune/fundamentals/licenses#device-only-licenses

For Autopilot enrollment, Microsoft Entra ID is used for automatic MDM enrollment.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/autopilot/self-deploying

Automatic MDM enrollment is a premium Microsoft Entra feature available for Microsoft Entra ID Premium subscribers.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/intune/enrollment/windows-enroll#enable-windows-automatic-enrollment

To enroll with bulk enrollment using a provisioning package, automatic enrollment is also needed. So Microsoft Entra Premium is also needed. For DEM via company portal or Microsoft Entra joined, I don't find Microsoft Entra Premium is necessary. You can try.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/intune/enrollment/device-enrollment-manager-enroll

For the above Apple or Android supporting enrollment, I don't find it needs Microsoft Entra Premium.

Hope the above information can help.

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