Microsoft Intune for Business: Managed Device Security for UK Businesses

If your staff log in from home laptops, personal phones and company machines, Intune is how you stop an unpatched or unencrypted device from quietly becoming your weakest point. It is part of our wider Microsoft 365 security practice, and it works hand in glove with Conditional Access policies to block non-compliant devices before they ever touch your email or files.

What is Microsoft Intune and what does it do?

Intune is Microsoft's endpoint management service inside the Microsoft 365 cloud. It sets the minimum security standard a device must meet, pushes settings such as disk encryption and updates automatically, deploys approved apps, and lets you wipe a lost device remotely. In short: it makes every device prove it is safe before it gets your data.

The platform covers Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, so a single console manages the whole estate. Microsoft documents the full capability set in its Intune technical documentation.

What's included when AMVIA manages your Intune?

We do not just switch Intune on and hand you a console. We design the policies, enrol the devices, and run the ongoing monitoring and reporting. A managed Intune deployment from AMVIA covers five core areas.

• Device compliance policies — define the minimum standard (OS version, encryption, password rules) a device must meet to access company resources. Devices on outdated, unpatched operating systems fail compliance and are blocked.
• Configuration profiles — push settings to devices automatically, with no user action: BitLocker full-disk encryption on Windows, and Windows Update settings that keep patching on schedule.
• Application deployment — install approved apps silently, including security tools such as Microsoft Defender for Business, so every managed device is protected from day one.
• Remote wipe and retirement — factory-reset a lost or stolen company device; on personal (BYOD) devices, a selective wipe removes only company data and leaves personal content untouched.
• Autopilot zero-touch deployment — ship a new device straight to an employee; it configures itself, joins Microsoft Entra ID, and installs its apps on first connection.

How does Intune work with Conditional Access?

Intune reports each device's compliance state to Microsoft Entra ID. Conditional Access then checks that state at sign-in: a device that is enrolled and compliant gets in; one with an outdated OS or missing encryption is blocked automatically until the issue is fixed. The two systems together enforce a practical zero-trust posture.

This is why Intune rarely stands alone. We deploy it alongside Conditional Access and MFA across Microsoft 365 so that identity, device health and access decisions are joined up rather than configured in isolation.

Why do UK SMEs need managed device control?

Most breaches start at the edge — an unpatched laptop, a personal phone with no encryption, or a device that should have been wiped months ago. Intune closes those gaps centrally instead of relying on staff to self-manage. The UK threat picture makes the case plainly.

• 43% of UK businesses experienced a cyber breach in 2025 — DSIT Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025.
• £3,550 is the average cost of a disruptive breach for UK businesses — DSIT Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025.
• Roughly 19,000 UK businesses were hit by ransomware in the past year — DSIT Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025.

For practical guidance on baseline device security, the NCSC's device security guidance is the UK reference standard, and Intune is the mechanism that enforces those baselines at scale.

In-house Intune vs AMVIA-managed Intune

Intune is powerful, but it is only as good as the policies behind it. The difference between a licence and a managed service is who owns the configuration, the patching and the monitoring.

How does AMVIA deploy Intune, and how long does it take?

We run a four-stage rollout and have Intune operational within 1–2 weeks for a typical estate. The stages are: planning and design (we assess your devices and define compliance policies), tenant configuration (enrolment profiles, compliance, Conditional Access, app deployment), device enrolment (via Autopilot or manual), then ongoing management and monthly reporting.

For a 50-user business with a straightforward device estate, we complete deployment and configuration in five to ten business days, including compliance policies, configuration profiles and Conditional Access integration. Autopilot setup for future device procurement is included as standard. Once live, Intune pairs naturally with Microsoft 365 backup and centralised mobile device management for phones and tablets.

Why choose AMVIA for Microsoft Intune?

Our engineering and support team operates from Sheffield, so you get UK-based engineers who understand UK compliance and infrastructure. AMVIA holds Cyber Essentials Plus certification and Microsoft Solutions Partner status, manages IT and security for 1,200+ UK businesses across legal, finance, healthcare and professional services, and responds to critical issues in under one hour. One provider, security-first, Microsoft-certified.