Microsoft Intune for small business, explained.

What is Microsoft Intune?

Intune is a device management service that runs entirely in the cloud. There is no server in your office. Once a device is enrolled, it checks in with Intune over the internet, wherever it is, and picks up whatever rules you've set.

In practice, that means you can answer questions most small businesses can't today:

• Which devices can open our email and files? Intune keeps an inventory of every enrolled laptop, phone and tablet, and who uses it.
• Are they safe? Compliance policies check things like encryption, a screen lock, a supported operating system and up-to-date antivirus.
• Can we stop an unsafe device getting in? Combined with Conditional Access in Microsoft Entra ID, you can block a non-compliant device from Microsoft 365 until it's fixed.
• What happens if one is lost? You can remotely lock it, wipe it back to factory settings, or remove only the company data.

Intune also handles the routine work: installing apps, setting up Wi-Fi and VPN profiles, managing Windows updates and, on Windows, storing BitLocker recovery keys so a locked-out user isn't stuck.

Do I already have Intune with Microsoft 365?

Possibly a basic version. Every Microsoft 365 for business plan includes Basic Mobility and Security, which Microsoft describes as a limited subset of Intune. Only Business Premium includes the full product, Intune Plan 1, together with Microsoft Entra ID P1 (which provides Conditional Access) and Microsoft Defender for Business. Business Premium is designed for organisations of up to 300 users.

The difference matters more than the name suggests. Microsoft's own comparison of Basic Mobility and Security and Intune shows what's missing in the lower plans:

Summarised from Microsoft Learn at time of writing. Basic Mobility and Security's Conditional Access is limited to Exchange Online, SharePoint and Outlook, and doesn't apply to Windows PCs.

If you're weighing the plans more broadly, our Business Basic vs Standard vs Premium comparison covers the rest of the differences.

Company devices vs BYOD: MDM or app protection?

Intune offers two approaches, and choosing the right one for each device is where most of the planning goes.

Microsoft recommends MDM for company-owned devices. For personal phones, its Business Premium guidance suggests app protection policies instead: for example, require a PIN to open Outlook, block saving company files to the phone, and only allow copies to OneDrive and SharePoint. Intune applies these rules in a work context only, so a staff member's personal WhatsApp, photos and banking apps are left alone.

What is Windows Autopilot?

Autopilot changes how you set up new Windows laptops. Instead of someone building each machine by hand, the user unboxes it, connects to a network and signs in with their work account. The device then joins Microsoft Entra ID, enrols in Intune and pulls down your apps, security settings and BitLocker encryption automatically.

Autopilot needs a qualifying subscription such as Business Premium, and each device must be registered with the Autopilot service first. Ideally your reseller or IT provider registers new laptops at the point of purchase, so they arrive ready. The same service can reset a device for a new joiner and bring it back to a business-ready state, which makes staff turnover far less painful.

One buying tip: choose Windows 11 Pro, not Home, for company laptops. Microsoft's enrolment documentation notes that joining Microsoft Entra ID requires Pro or a higher edition, and Autopilot supports Pro and above.

A six-step Intune rollout for SMEs

1. Take an inventory. List every device that touches company email or files, and mark each one as company-owned or personal. You'll usually find more than you expected.
2. Decide the rules. For company devices: encryption, screen lock, supported Windows or macOS version, Defender running. For personal phones: app protection on Outlook, Teams and OneDrive.
3. Pilot with IT and management first. Enrol a handful of devices, check nothing breaks, then fix any gaps before the wider rollout.
4. Communicate before you enforce. A short note on what's changing, what IT can and can't see, and how long it takes. People accept rules they understand.
5. Turn on Conditional Access in report-only mode. Microsoft recommends testing "require a compliant device" policies in report-only mode before switching them on, and excluding your emergency admin accounts.
6. Enforce, then keep it running. Switch policies on, enrol new laptops through Autopilot from now on, and review compliance reports monthly so stale or unhealthy devices don't pile up.

Device management works best alongside strong sign-in. If your team still uses SMS codes, read our guide to Microsoft's SMS MFA retirement and passkeys; a passkey on a managed device is a far harder target than a password on an unmanaged one.

Is Intune a security tool or an IT tool?

Both, but it isn't antivirus. Intune sets and enforces how devices are configured. Threat detection comes from endpoint protection: Business Premium includes Microsoft Defender for Business, and some businesses add a dedicated product such as Check Point Harmony Endpoint. Intune is what makes sure that protection is actually installed, switched on and up to date on every device.

What this means for Singapore businesses

Under the PDPA's Protection Obligation, organisations must make reasonable security arrangements to protect personal data. A lost, unencrypted laptop full of client records is one of the most common ways that goes wrong. Enforced encryption and the ability to wipe a device remotely are the kind of controls our PDPA IT checklist recommends.

If you're working towards CSA Cyber Essentials, Intune also maps neatly onto several of its areas: knowing your hardware and software assets, secure configuration, software updates and access control. An Intune device inventory and compliance report is far easier evidence to produce than a spreadsheet nobody updates.

At Cloudeli, Intune device management and Entra ID P1 come with our Cloudeli Complete package on Microsoft 365 Business Premium, at US$36.60 per user per month on an annual plan, with the setup and day-to-day management handled for you. Whichever route you take, the goal is the same: if a device goes missing tomorrow, you should be able to protect your data within minutes, not hope for the best.

This article is general guidance, not legal advice.