News

Beta for Windows Intune Ends April 18, Microsoft Warns

The beta for Windows Intune will expire on Monday, April 18, Microsoft announced on Friday.

According to a Microsoft blog post, users of the hosted management service for Windows-based PCs have two options: Download a free 30-day trial version (the trial software will install over the beta) or purchase a subscription. Otherwise, Microsoft advises users to uninstall the beta from their machines.

Microsoft began offering the Window Intune service commercially last month. It's priced at $11 per user per month, and comes with access to Windows 7 Enterprise edition, a browser-based management console and PC security software. For an additional $1 per user per month, Windows Intune users gain access to the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP), which includes desktop virtualization and application virtualization tools.

Windows Intune is based on Microsoft's Windows Update service, and not the Windows Azure cloud computing platform. It was initially rolled out with the goal of providing PC management support to small and medium-size businesses. However, according to a Microsoft-sponsored IDC whitepaper on Windows Intune costs, Microsoft's goal is to expand this service to meet the needs of organizations of all sizes.

Using hosted applications such as Windows Intune can be construed as a form of outsourcing. The IDC whitepaper calculates cost reductions for organizations using the service based on the time savings afforded to IT personnel.

The whitepaper's conclusions are based on the experiences of eight organizations testing the beta version of Windows Intune, with the organizations having a mean of 121 employees and three IT staff.

About the Author

Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.

Featured

  • Windows 365 Cloud Apps Now Available for Public Preview

    Microsoft announced this week that Windows 365 Cloud Apps are now available for public preview. This aims to allow IT administrators to stream individual Windows applications from the cloud, removing the need to assign Cloud PCs to every user.

  • Report: Security Initiatives Can't Keep Pace with Cloud, AI Boom

    The increasingly fast adoption of hybrid, multicloud, and AI systems is easily outgrowing existing security measures, according to a recent global survey by the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) and exposure management firm Tenable.

  • World Map Image

    Microsoft Taps Nebius in $17B AI Infrastructure Deal To Alleviate Cloud Strain

    Microsoft has signed a five-year, $17.4 billion agreement with Amsterdam-based Nebius Group to expand its AI computing capabilities through third-party GPU infrastructure.

  • Microsoft Brings Copilot AI Into Viva Engage

    Microsoft 365 Copilot in Viva Engage is now generally available, extending Copilot's AI-powered assistant capabilities deeper into the Viva platform.