Summary
In this module, you prepared the essential foundation for device management in Microsoft Intune. You learned how to configure identity, licensing, and tenant settings that enable secure and scalable device enrollment—all aligned with Zero Trust principles of verifying explicitly, using least privilege access, and assuming breach.
What you accomplished
You now understand how to:
- Configure Microsoft Entra ID roles and licensing to grant appropriate permissions and ensure compliance for device management
- Prepare your Microsoft Intune tenant with the MDM authority, security groups, enrollment restrictions, and platform-specific settings
- Choose and explain enrollment methods based on device platform, ownership model, and deployment scale
- Verify readiness requirements before enrolling devices in different scenarios
Key takeaways
Identity is the foundation: Microsoft Entra ID serves as the identity provider for all device management operations. Proper role assignment—using groups rather than individual users, protecting admin roles with Conditional Access, and enabling Privileged Identity Management—ensures secure administration while maintaining least privilege access.
Tenant configuration sets the stage: Setting the MDM authority, organizing groups, and configuring enrollment restrictions ensure that devices enroll correctly and are targeted with appropriate policies.
Windows enrollment methods vary by scenario: Manual enrollment works for small-scale or BYOD scenarios, while Windows Autopilot provides zero-touch provisioning at enterprise scale. Configuration Manager co-management, provisioning packages, and Group Policy support hybrid environments and specialized deployment needs. For mobile platforms (iOS/iPadOS, Android, macOS), basic enrollment capabilities support BYOD and corporate-owned scenarios through platform-specific frameworks.
Ownership matters: Corporate-owned Windows devices benefit from automated provisioning and full Mobile Device Management (MDM) control. Personal (BYOD) devices—whether Windows, iOS, Android, or macOS—benefit from Mobile Application Management (MAM), which protects corporate apps and data without compromising user privacy.
Contoso Corporation's progress
Returning to the scenario, you successfully prepared Contoso Corporation's environment for Windows-focused modern endpoint management:
| Category | Configuration |
|---|---|
| Identity & Access | Intune Administrator role assigned, licenses configured for all employees |
| Tenant Setup | MDM authority set to Microsoft Intune, automatic enrollment enabled |
| Device Organization | Dynamic security groups created for platform and ownership targeting |
| Enrollment Controls | Restrictions configured for Windows OS version requirements |
| Provisioning | Windows Autopilot configured for zero-touch deployment |
| Mobile Support | APNs certificate (iOS) and managed Google Play (Android) configured |
Contoso is now ready to begin enrolling devices.
Next steps
With your tenant prepared, you're ready to:
- Enroll devices using the methods you learned
- Validate enrollment and troubleshoot common issues
- Apply configuration and compliance policies to enrolled devices
Additional resources
To learn more about preparing for device enrollment, visit: