Windows Intune frequently asked questions

Windows Intune simplifies and helps businesses manage and secure PCs using Windows®cloud services and Windows 7. Windows Intune includes both the cloud service for PC management and security and upgrade rights to Windows 7 Enterprise and future versions of Windows.

With the Windows Intune cloud service, IT staff can remotely perform a number of security and management tasks including manage updates, endpoint protection to help safeguard PCs from malware threats, and inventory management so IT and end-users can remain productive from virtually anywhere—all that’s required is an Internet connection. With the Windows 7 Enterprise upgrade included in the subscription, customers can get the best Windows experience with Windows 7 Enterprise or standardize on the Windows version of their choice.

Customers also have the option to purchase the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) add-on, a set of seven on-site advanced desktop management tools. MDOP can help further enhance security and control and help you resolve critical issues that could not be addressed by the cloud service, such as diagnosing and recovering unbootable PCs. For more information on the capabilities of the MDOP, please visit www.microsoft.com/windows/enterprise/products/mdop.

The core architecture remains unchanged, and we’ve added a few of the top feature requests from users. We’ve also made usability improvements to the service to deliver a richer experience and help you proactively address the PC management and security needs of your business. These updates include:

• Software Distribution: Deploy many Microsoft®, third-party, and your company’s own business applications and updates to Windows Intune managed PCs, as noted in Software Distribution section below.

• Remote Tasks: Remotely perform the following tasks on Windows Intune managed PCs from the administration console: Full scan, Quick scan, Update Malware Definition, and Restart.

• Robust license management: Manage your Microsoft Retail Licenses, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Licenses for Microsoft software, and third-party software licenses in addition to many Microsoft Volume License agreements. With 15 years of experience hosting some of the world's largest cloud services, such as Hotmail and Windows Update, Microsoft provides the reliability, availability, and security customers expect for their business: highly-secure, high-availability server architecture, 24x7 support, and a financially-backed 99.9% scheduled uptime SLA.

• Enhanced Reporting: Create hardware reports based on new hardware filters for common hardware characteristics. Additionally, you can now create and save report parameters to make it easy and efficient to run a report again in the future.

• Alerts + Monitoring: Configure alert types to be reported according to a specified threshold, frequency, or percent of computers affected.

• Numerous usability and user interface enhancements: We continue to improve the design and usability based on user feedback. You will find updates like read-only access and new context menus, copy and paste, drag and drop, search, filter, and improved organization capabilities throughout the product.

If you have an active subscription at the time of a Windows Intune update, your account will be automatically updated. There is no action required from you for this to happen.

It's a powerful combination of cloud services for PC management and security solutions and Windows upgrade licensing—rolled into a single license and subscription.

• Reduces IT complexity rather than just manages it: With its simple, task-oriented UI, Windows Intune helps complete routine PC management tasks or quickly identify issues that may disrupt productivity. In addition, the Windows 7 Enterprise upgrade rights help businesses standardize their environment on the latest operating system, bringing added productivity, security, and usability to end users, while making management easier with a single configuration.

• Single, integrated solution: Windows Intune provides core IT management and security functionality in a single console—distribution of software and updates through the cloud, endpoint protection using the same malware engine that is used in Microsoft Forefront technology, asset inventory and remote assistance.

• Backed by Microsoft: With 15 years of experience hosting some of the world's largest cloud services, such as Windows Live Hotmail® and Windows Update, Microsoft provides the reliability, availability, and security customers expect for their business: highly-secure, high-availability server architecture, 24x7 support, and a financially-backed 99.9% scheduled uptime SLA.

Windows Intune is designed for businesses without existing PC management infrastructure that need a simple, cost-effective way to manage and protect their PCs. Whether you are in search of a solution that can deliver the essentials of management and protection for all your PCs, or just for those that are hard-to-reach—such as highly distributed workers, off-corporate network PCs, field employees, or recent acquisitions—Windows Intune can help. Furthermore, for businesses looking to reduce their on-premises footprint or limited in resources to commit to a deployment, Microsoft hosts and manages the infrastructure —alleviating the burden on your IT staff while still keeping them in control of your IT infrastructure.

Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Romanian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Traditional Chinese, Turkish.

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad + Tobago, United Kingdom, United States.

Your main purchase location will determine the data center assigned to your Windows Intune account. You may manage PCs in countries other than the purchase location, restrictions apply. For specific information about country use restrictions, please contact your Account Manager or call Microsoft Support.

Because Windows Intune delivers PC management capabilities through a cloud service, there is no on-site infrastructure for you to deploy, which means you can start managing PCs in no time.

Microsoft hosts and manages the infrastructure for you—alleviating the burden on your IT staff while still keeping them in control of your IT infrastructure.

The Windows Intune cloud service is a single, easy-to-deploy solution to help manage and secure for PCs. A simple Web-based console gives you immediate visibility into what’s going on across all your managed PCs so that you can proactively identify and resolve problems with your PCs virtually anywhere.

Help manage and secure PCs anywhere

• Protect PCs from malware: Help protect your customers’ PCs from the latest threats with centralized endpoint protection. You can even remotely initiate on-demand malware scans, forced restarts, or malware definition updates to take the extra step helping ensure your PCs are well-protected from potential threats.

• Manage updates: Centrally manage the deployment of updates to Microsoft ® and most third-party software, keeping the applications your workers need current.

• Distribute software: Deploy Microsoft and most third-party software, through the cloud, to PCs located nearly anywhere.

• Proactively monitor PCs: Receive alerts on updates, threats, offline PCs and more so that you can proactively identify and resolve problems with your PCs virtually anywhere.

• Provide remote assistance: Resolve PC issues, regardless of where you or your users are located, with remote assistance.

• Track hardware and software inventory: Track hardware and software assets used in your business to efficiently manage your assets and compliance.

• Manage your licenses: Manage many Microsoft volume license agreements and other license agreements to track how many licenses you’ve purchased against what you’ve installed.

• Increase insight with reporting: Generate and save reports on updates, software, hardware, and licenses. Export data as a comma separated value file and import it directly into Microsoft Excel for further analysis.

• Set security policies: Centrally manage update, firewall, and endpoint protection policies, even on remote machines outside the corporate network.

Note: For more details on any of these items, please refer to the Windows Intune Product Guide

With Windows Intune, you get the same list of updates as the Windows Software Update Service (WSUS), with the same level of control. Windows Intune works over the cloud like Windows Update and Microsoft Update, but you don't need on-site infrastructure. Updates are delivered directly to any of your managed PCs that have an Internet connection.

Yes, you can manage the deployment of most third-party software updates.

The endpoint protection included in Windows Intune is powered by the same trusted malware engine used by Forefront Endpoint Protection and can deliver alerts and infection reports in a similar manner. As with Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010, Windows Intune takes advantage of many of the updates made to Microsoft’s trusted malware engine to deliver business-class endpoint protection.

Yes, you can use Windows Intune to replace your current malware protection. This is the recommended approach, because it will give you access to the centralized malware protection policies and reporting of Windows Intune.

If your current endpoint protection package is integrated with the Windows Security Center in Windows Vista or the Action Center in Windows 7, then the malware protection component of Windows Intune will disable itself and the status of the Security Center or Action Center will be reported to the Windows Intune console. You will still need to manage any third-party malware protection software's update and scanning policies as these cannot be controlled by Windows Intune.

By selecting “Remote Tasks” you can perform a number of tasks on a Windows Intune managed computer. These include:

• Run Full Malware Scan: Starts an immediate full scan of the client computer.

• Run Quick Malware Scan: Starts an immediate quick scan of the client computer, searching for select files and common file paths in just a few minutes.

• Update Malware Definitions: Instructs the client software on the managed PC to check for the latest Windows Intune malware definition files.

• Restart Computer: Forces a managed computer to restart.

There is no remove application or uninstall option available directly from the console. Unauthorized applications and programs can be removed via remote assistance; however, this must be user initiated.

If the application installer package (the MSI) was written to support silent uninstallation Windows Intune will be able to uninstall the application.

You can view alerts by the alert type, by PC groups, or on an individual PC basis. You can also use filters to view alerts of a specific security level and display alerts that are active or that have been closed. A variety of predefined alerts are available. We've listed a few key alerts below:

• Security alerts that let you know right away when you've got a threat, so you can take care of it immediately.
• Update alerts that notify you when new updates are available and can even track deployment progress—so you can identify which PCs have or have not successfully downloaded the update.
• Alerts that let you know if PCs are running low on disk space, so that you can upgrade hardware before space becomes an issue.

Yes, you may configure the thresholds you wish to set on alerts. For example, if your users are regularly filling up their hard drives, you could set an alert threshold so you will be notified when their hard drive is 75% full. This way, you can be proactive in warning users or upgrading hardware before your users run out of space.

We have consolidated these alerts so that they are only counted once regardless of the operating system they appear on.

Yes, they will need to use the Windows Intune Center, installed on the user's PC, to initiate a remote assistance session.

Administrators can have alerts forwarded to their email and to other assigned administrators so that they are immediately notified of potential issues and requests for remote assistance—even when they aren't logged into the console. When you log into the Windows Intune Web console and click on the System Overview and Alerts status pages, you can view all active alerts.

Yes, once you add administrators, you can also designate which alert categories you want sent to specific administrators. This functionality is available in the Windows Intune Console under "Notification Rules" within the Administration workgroup.

Policy templates are provided to help you create endpoint protection, firewall settings, and update policies quickly and simply. For a more detailed description of specific settings you can centrally define and manage from the Windows Intune console, please visit Windows Intune Online Help at: http://onlinehelp.microsoft.com/windowsintune/ff399005.aspx.

No, you cannot export policies from other management solutions into Windows Intune.

The policy settings provided by Windows Intune are designed to give you a fast and straightforward method to manage Microsoft software updates, endpoint protection, and firewall policies.

Note: If Group Policy objects are currently applied, then these settings will take precedence over the security policy settings in Windows Intune. You will be notified of group policy conflicts in the System Overview pane of the Windows Intune Administration Console.

Yes, both services will work in parallel, and the reporting of each service can be tracked independently.

With your Windows Intune subscription, you also have the option to purchase the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) add-on, a set of seven on-site advanced desktop management tools, for roughly US$1* per PC per month. MDOP can help further enhance security and control and help you resolve critical issues that could not be addressed by the cloud service, such as diagnosing and recovering unbootable PCs. MDOP includes:

• NEW! Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM)http://www.microsoft.com/windows/enterprise/products/mdop/mbam.aspx

• Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT):www.microsoft.com/windows/enterprise/products/mdop/dart.aspx

• Microsoft Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM):www.microsoft.com/windows/enterprise/products/mdop/agpm.aspx

• Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V):www.microsoft.com/windows/enterprise/products/mdop/app-v.aspx

• Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V):www.microsoft.com/windows/enterprise/products/mdop/app-v.aspx

• Microsoft System Center Desktop Error Monitoring (DEM):www.microsoft.com/windows/enterprise/products/mdop/dem.aspx

• Microsoft Asset Inventory Service (AIS). Note: This functionality is included in the Windows Intune cloud service.www.microsoft.com/windows/enterprise/products/mdop/ais.aspx Note: For more information on the capabilities of the MDOP, please visit www.microsoft.com/windows/enterprise/products/mdop.

*MDOP pricing may vary by region.

You can distribute most Microsoft, third-party, or line of business software or update packages to PCs. For example, you can deploy Microsoft® Office 2010 using Windows Intune.

There are no additional hardware requirements to use software distribution.

During a 30-day trial, 2 gigabytes (GB) of complimentary Windows Azure™ cloud storage are provided to store updates or applications until distribution. Paid subscriptions will include 20GB of complimentary storage space. Customers will also have the option to purchase more Windows Azure cloud storage space if needed in 1GB increments. For more information on purchasing additional storage, visit http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=217172

No. You need only an Internet connection for software or updates to be deployed to your Windows Intune managed PCs.

No. As long as the computer is powered on, connected to the Internet, and managed by Windows Intune, the application or update will be installed.

You can track the failed or successful installations in the Managed Software workspaces in the administration console. Additionally, you will see an alert for failed software installations in the System Overview screen in the administration console.

For technical guidance on using software distribution, use http://onlinehelp.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsintune/hh127729.aspx You can also visit Windows Intune Online Help for more information.

Windows Intune does not rely on Active Directory® to organize the managed computers. Regardless of a computer’s domain membership, you are free to organize its group membership in Windows Intune however it works best for you.

You can manage many Microsoft volume license agreements, Microsoft retail licenses, Microsoft OEM Licenses, and third-party software licenses. Note: This feature is provided for convenience only and accuracy is not guaranteed. You should not rely on it to confirm compliance with Microsoft volume licensing agreements.

You will need the publisher name, software title, and number of licenses purchased. As you start typing into the appropriate fields, the auto-complete feature will reconcile what’s in the software catalog and suggest names for completion.

With Windows Intune, you can generate reports for major function areas. These template-based reports include:

• Update report: Easily select report criteria based on product categories, update classifications; and computer groups to quickly identify updates that have failed to be installed on computers in your organization; see how many updates are needed by computers, and determine how many updates have been installed.

• Software report: Get a full list of the applications installed on all your computers, including version numbers, so you can better analyze the specific needs of users in your organization.

• Hardware report: Use this report to help plan hardware purchases and to understand more about the hardware needs of users in your organization.

• License purchase report: Compare inventoried volume-licensable software titles with your current license agreement coverage for those software titles according to the Microsoft Volume Licensing service. This report can help you identify possible gaps in license agreement coverage that your organization may have.

• License installation report: Compare software that has been discovered on computers that you manage with your current license agreement coverage. Installation reports can help you determine whether your organization has adequate license agreement coverage for all product installations in selected computer groups.

Note: For enhanced reporting functionality, data can be imported into other reporting tools for further analysis. For example, you can export data as a comma-separated-value (CSV) file and import it directly into Microsoft Excel®. Then you can organize the data into a view that’s most helpful for you.

No, reports are generated based on the information that was presented to the service the last time the computer was online.

The filters include: Manufacturer, Chassis type, Available disk space, Memory installed, and CPU speed.

Yes, you can save the report once you have configured it to meet your needs. For example, the next time you go into “Hardware Reports” in the “Reports” workspace and select “Load”, you will see a list of hardware reports you saved for reuse.

Yes, we’ve made a number of design improvements to make using the console even easier. These include the following:

• Right-Click Enabled with Context Menus: If you right-click in the console, you will be presented with a context sensitive menu that allows you to access common tasks.

• New Color Coding and Alert Groups: This update includes improved color coded visual indicators and new alert groups for Policy and Software.

• Drag and Drop: You can easily add a PC to a specific computer group by dragging it from the main pane in the computer workspace and dropping it into a select computer group.

• Custom views: Within the workspaces, it is now possible to customize the columns that are displayed using a field chooser.

• Read-only Access: When adding service administrators to your Windows Intune account, you can select whether to grant full administrator rights or read-only access to information.

• Multi-account console: You can view a health indicator per workload – updates, endpoint protection, agent health, or software – for each of your accounts. The console also has increased sorting and filtering capability, as well as a preview pane that enables you to quickly scan a selected account.

• Offline installation: You can pre-install Windows Intune on computers or images even if they are not online during the installation.

The Windows Intune client software is supported on both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of:

• Windows 7 Enterprise, Ultimate, and Professional
• Windows Vista Enterprise, Ultimate, and Business
• Windows XP Professional with Service Pack (SP) 3

The Windows Intune client software has no additional hardware requirements for Windows 7 or Windows Vista based computers. However, to install the client software on Windows XP based computers, you will need a CPU clock speed of 500 megahertz (MHz) or faster and a minimum of 256 megabytes (MB) of RAM.

You will require administrator rights on the computer to complete the Windows Intune client software installation.

To access the Windows Intune administration console, administrators will need access to a web browser that supports Silverlight 3.0, such as Windows Internet Explorer 7.0 or higher.

Windows Intune supports PCs and slates that meet the minimum system and technical requirements.

To get started with a free 30-day trial of the Windows Intune cloud service, visit https://mocp.microsoftonline.com/Site/services/intune/Signup.aspx?offer=winintune.

1. Log in with your Windows Live ID (WLID) and provide some basic contact information. If you don’t have a Windows Live ID, you will need to create one. You will be presented with the option to create a new WLID during the sign-up process. If you have previously signed up for a Windows Intune trial, you will require a new Windows LiveID for a subsequent trial.

2. "Accept" the Microsoft Online Subscription Agreement at http://www.microsoft.com/online/mosa.aspx. We encourage you to "opt in" to receive our education emails through the course of your trials to help ensure you are getting the most from your trial experience.

3. Complete the required fields to create your profile and sign up for your 30 day trial of Windows Intune. No Promotional Code is necessary. Note: The required “Subscription Identifier” field is a descriptor, such as your company name or general label that you would like to appear on your Windows Intune invoices should you choose to purchase the service upon completion of your trial in the future. Since Windows Intune is registered under your Windows Live ID, this the Subscription Identifier does not need to be unique from other users and is for your internal use only.

4. You will receive an email shortly after completing your registration when your account is ready. You can use the Windows Intune trial on up to 25 PCs [please note that the default is set to 25].

5. You're all set! Log in to https://manage.microsoft.com with the subscriber Windows Live ID and start managing and better protecting your PCs!

6. Configure your security settings and policies. Next, download the management client from the "Administration" workspace and install it on any PC you wish to manage.

Limited trial extensions are available. Please contact support for more information on exercising a trial extension.

Note: The Windows 7 Enterprise upgrade license is not available to trial users. Instructions to access the trial version of Windows 7 Enterprise are available at technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/cc442495.aspx.

There are two main differences between the trial and the paid service:

• The trial does not include a Windows 7 Enterprise trial or upgrade rights and associated benefits.

• The trial is limited to 2GB complimentary storage.

During the sign-up process, you can add an eligible Microsoft Online Services partner. In order to do so, you will need the partner’s ID number or their company name, city and zip code.

If you’d like your Partner to administer the service on your behalf, follow these steps:

• Step 1: In order to allow the Partner to manage your subscription or PCs, you will need to add them as a Service Administrator. Select “Edit service details” and click the “Go” button.

• Step 2: Confirm your Subscription Identifier and click “Next”.

• Step 3: Enter your Service Administrator details. Once you click “Next”, you will receive a Summary page confirming your updated information, and the option to either return to the previous screen to make edits or “Finish” your registration.

Yes, you can use Windows Intune concurrently with most third-party management solutions you may already have in place. As of now, Microsoft is not aware of any compatibility issues with other solutions.

At present we do not support the System Center Configuration Manager client and the Windows Intune client on the same machine.

Yes, your data and configurations will be carried over to your subscription. However, if you are an EA customer you cannot carry over your trial subscription to a paid account.

The Windows Intune cloud service requires the client software to be installed on each PC you would like to manage:

• You can distribute the client in a number of ways: by direct downloads, via a private share, or even using a flash drive.

• For instructions and tips on how to install Windows Intune on all your PCs quickly and easily, please refer to the Getting Started Guide at: http://g.microsoftonline.com/0it-us00EN-US/1004.

• The MSI package containing the Windows Intune client software is signed with a certificate so that it is unique to individual customer subscriptions. Free tools from Microsoft, such as the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, are available to help you successfully install Windows Intune and Windows 7 Enterprise on your PCs.

Yes, Windows Intune can be used by your IT consultant to provide PC management and support:

• IT consultants can remotely manage, help protect PCs, and assist end users based virtually anywhere.

• If you’d like your Partner of Record to use Windows Intune to manage your PCs on your behalf, your Partner will initiate the checkout process. You will then receive an email from Windows Intune. Follow the steps below to add them as a Partner of Record:

  Step 1: In order to allow the Partner to manage your subscription, you will need to add them as a Service Administrator. Select “Edit service details” and click the “Go” button.

  Step 2: Confirm your Subscription Identifier and click “Next”.

  Step 3: Enter your Service Administrator details. Once you click “Next”, you will receive a Summary page confirming your updated information, and the option to either return to the previous screen to make edits or “Finish” your registration.

• Your IT consultant will need to have administrative rights to the cloud service and your PCs in order to install the client software. Once you (the customer) complete the purchase transaction, you will need to add your IT consultant as an administrator from the “Administration” workspace in the Windows Intune Administration Console.

• You can add additional administrators at any time. You can select whether to grant administrators full service right or read-only.

• Once you add administrators, you can also designate which alert categories you want sent to specific administrators.

Yes, Windows Intune can be used to manage supported versions of Windows when running in a virtual machine. Windows Intune customers will be able to manage one virtual machine in addition to the physical device as part of their Windows Intune subscription.

Windows Intune can be used to manage and protect a Windows OS running in a virtual environment. Dynamic VDI solutions that stream the virtual machine on demand and then delete it at logoff are not supported. Additional software is required, such as the Microsoft VDI Suite, to build a VDI solution.

Windows Intune is designed to help customers protect and manage their PCs and is not to be used to manage servers. For customers with only a few servers that are looking for basic server management, we recommend using Forefront Endpoint Protection in conjunction with native tools and functionality included in Windows Server such as Group Policy, Windows Server Update Service (WSUS), and Server Manager. For customers with many servers and more complex server management needs, we recommend they consider our System Center family of products.

Check out the Windows Intune Product Guide at: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=211097.

There is a breadth of technical content on the Windows Intune cloud service at: http://onlinehelp.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsintune/default.aspx.

Additionally, check out ongoing discussions around technical topics from our community of IT professionals at: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/windowsintuneprod/threads.

You will also find technical whitepapers on specific focus areas on the Windows Intune Springboard page.

First, download the Getting Started guide at http://g.microsoftonline.com/0it-us00EN-US/1004that will help you set up your environment with ease and evaluate the main features of Windows Intune. You can also opt in for a set of email communications that includes help, tips, and tricks during your 30 day trial.

No, Windows Intune is a service that can help your IT staff or IT consultant easily manage your PC environment:

• Microsoft hosts the Windows Intune cloud service and infrastructure, but does not perform PC administration tasks.
• Your IT staff or consultant will be responsible for administrating the service.

Microsoft Online Services, including Windows Intune, run on a global network of world-class data centers that are protected by multiple layers of security and operational best practices, including:

• Secure Internet protocols such as Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) to secure access to the service and clients.
• Adherence to industry security standards and are ISO 270001 compliant.
• Redundant servers and geographically dispersed facilities to help ensure that your online services are available when you need them.
• A backup data center that we can switch to in the event of a disaster.
• High-availability architecture that provides uninterrupted service even in the event of hardware failure on one of our servers.
• Management by a rigorously screened and highly trained staff.
• Encrypted data channels that protect all communications between the client and the data center.
• Administrator access to the administrative console that requires authentication of authorized administrators you have assigned to your account. Authentication is done through the Windows Live® ID service.
• The Microsoft Online Services guarantee: a financially backed, 99.9 percent scheduled uptime service level agreement and best-in-class support around the clock.
• Current status on the service health is available at: http://status.manage.microsoft.com.

Microsoft is committed to helping protect the security of your information. We use a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect your information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. For example, we store the information you provide on computer systems with limited access, which are located in controlled facilities. More information regarding data privacy can be found in our Privacy Statements. To review the Microsoft Online Services Privacy Statement, visit: http://www.microsoft.com/online/legal/?langid=en-us&docid=14. To review the Windows Intune Privacy Statement, visit: http://www.microsoft.com/online/legal/?langid=en-us&docid=14.

With over 20 years of experience with business software and nearly 15 years of experience with cloud computing—with Hotmail, Windows Update, and Microsoft Exchange Online—Microsoft cloud services are delivered to you with the reliability and security you expect for your business:

• Windows Intune takes advantage of the Microsoft Update and Windows Update infrastructure, which pushes out a petabyte of updates for hundreds of millions of PCs every month.
• Learn more about the Microsoft expertise with cloud services at: www.microsoft.com/cloud.

As a Windows Intune customer, you are entitled to the following benefits while your subscriptions are active:

• Upgrade rights to Windows 7 Enterprise for all your PCs that are covered by Windows Intune, as long as they meet the minimum system requirements for Windows 7.
• Access to download Volume Licensing media for Windows 7 Enterprise (and prior versions) and activation keys so that you can install the desired version of Windows on your PCs.
• Rights to upgrade to future versions of Windows, as well as downgrade rights to older versions.
• Rights to run instances of Windows on up to 4 virtual operating system environments on each licensed PC. The Windows Intune cloud service can manage one virtual Windows OS environment in addition to one physical.

Note: For customers who purchased Windows Intune through the Microsoft Online Services Customer Portal (MOCP) that wish to cancel their cancel subscription, they may purchase the buyout option by contacting support in order to maintain perpetual use rights to their upgraded Windows OS license. Devices must have been covered for a minimum of 12 months to qualify for a buyout. If a customer does not wish to purchase the Buyout, they will need to uninstall the upgraded version.

No, you have the choice to upgrade to Windows 7 Enterprise when you are ready, or you can use a previous version. Windows 7 Enterprise offers you the best user experience today with an improved and intuitive interface and advanced search capabilities, plus BitLocker drive encryption to better protect confidential data.

The Windows Intune cloud service does not perform Windows operating system upgrades or deployments, but it does provide you with license rights to upgrade each of your managed PCs:

• Once your purchase has been activated, you can install Windows 7 Enterprise for your subscribed PCs. In order to access your Windows media and activation keys to upgrade your PCs, please log into the Microsoft Online Services Customer Portal where you can select the "Download Windows and/or MDOP software" action.
  
• You may also link directly to the Online Service Download Center from your activation email or by visiting http://www.microsoft.com/online/downloads/catalog.aspx. Free tools from Microsoft, such as the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, are available to help you successfully install Windows 7 Enterprise on your PCs. Check out the Windows Intune Product Guide at: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=211097.
• Upgrade guidance for midsize businesses is available on the Microsoft TechNet site at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee523218(WS.10).aspx.

Using a single version of Windows based on a uniform set of applications and configurations is a best practice that makes it easier to manage your PCs and helps reduce the total cost of operations.

Yes, instructions to access the trial version of Windows 7 Enterprise are available at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/cc442495.aspx.

A Windows 7 Enterprise–specific Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page is also available at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/ee388361.aspx Please refer to the question, "How do I install Windows 7 Enterprise 90-Day Trial?"

You can find out all you need to know about Windows 7 Enterprise by visiting www.microsoft.com/windows/enterprise/products/windows-7.

Online technical support is available by logging into your Windows Intune account and by clicking the Help link located at the top right-hand corner of the Windows Intune console. In addition, the online technical support for the latest version of Windows Intune is available at http://onlinehelp.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsintune/default.aspx.

Please visit http://support.microsoft.com/ph/14019#tab0 for technical guides, FAQs, forums, and instructions of how to contact technical support. Please note that technical support for Windows may require payment or be counted as a decrement towards your existing Windows benefits.

Please visit http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/bb899442.aspx for technical guides, FAQs, forums, and instructions of how to contact technical support. Please note that technical support for MDOP may require payment or be counted as a decrement towards your existing Windows benefits.

Windows Intune provides an alternative to deploying and maintaining a PC management infrastructure on site. To see how Windows Intune compares to on-premises solutions from Microsoft today, please refer to the table below for a comparison of the key benefits across Windows Intune and Microsoft's on-premises solutions which includes Forefront Endpoint Protection, System Center Configuration Manager, and System Center Essentials:

¹ The Alerts workspace within Windows Intune manages for a pre-defined list of common issues.

² Windows Intune delivers basic software distribution. For guidance on software distribution with Windows Intune, review the “Best Practices for Deploying Software with Windows Intune” whitepaper.

The Microsoft System Center Online Desktop Manager technology is included in the Windows Intune cloud service. It is not an individual product.

Yes, there is no technical reason that we are aware of that would inhibit Windows Intune from working with other PC management suites.

Windows Intune and Office 365 are on different online portals. To manage your Windows Intune subscription, please visit https://mocp.microsoftonline.com/site/default.aspx.

If you have an Office 365 subscription and a Windows Intune subscription, you will need to visit two separate online portals to manage your subscription information. For Windows Intune subscriptions, visit https://mocp.microsoftonline.com/site/default.aspx.

You can continue to use your Live ID to manage your Windows Intune subscription. However, Office 365 requires you to create a new Microsoft Online Services ID. For details visit http://onlinehelp.microsoft.com/en-us/office365-enterprises/gg570306.aspx.

To access your Windows Intune subscription, please use the Windows Live ID you used to create your account.

At this time, Windows Intune requires a Windows Live ID to sign in. You cannot use your Microsoft Online Services ID.

• Windows Intune will cost US$11 per PC per month. Pricing varies by region. Volume discounts will also be available for purchases of 250 licenses or greater:

  If you are in the midst of an existing trial, sign in with your Windows Live ID, go to your account and select “Buy”. During the purchase process, be sure to confirm the number of licenses that you and your business require; the system default is set to 25.

  If you did not participate in a trial, or your trial has expired, and are interested in purchasing Windows Intune, you will need to create a new Windows Live ID. You will then need to create a profile by adding contact, company and address information.

• If you are working with a Partner, during the checkout process, you will be given the option to input your Partner of Record’s name. When searching for a Partner of Record, you can use Partner Name (or a partial name); City; Zip; or Partner ID.
• It will also be sold through the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA) and Enrollment for Education Solutions (EES) programs.

At this time it is not possible to pre-pay your full year’s subscription for Windows Intune. You will be charged monthly for your subscription.

Any services you subscribe to at https://mocp.microsoftonline.com/site/default.aspx are governed by the Terms and Conditions you signed on that portal. As of 10/19/2011 the agreement terms for both Windows Intune and O365 were combined meaning that purchases made after that date are governed by the same set of Terms and Conditions. For purchases of either service prior to 10/19/2011 terms may vary.

Today, the Windows Intune administration experience is optimized for IT professionals looking to deliver the essentials of management and security for up to 5,000 PCs in a single account. The infrastructure is highly scalable and as we evolve the service, we will continue to improve the usability of the administration console to help IT professionals manage even larger enterprises of over 5,000 PCs.

For customers interested in managing over 5,000 PCs, we recommend creating multiple subscriptions of up to 5,000 PCs each or evaluating our System Center family of products.

Yes, current Windows SA customers are eligible to get Windows Intune at a reduced price. When ordering, you will be prompted for Company Name and Physical Company Address. Please be sure this matches your existing SA agreement. After the purchase is made, Microsoft will verify your SA coverage and bill at a lower price so that you do not pay twice for the upgrade rights included in Windows Intune. SA discounts will be applied on a subsequent bill (may take two billing cycles for credit to be applied).

The Windows Intune subscription term is annual, though payments are made monthly. During month two through the end of the initial subscription, customers can request to discontinue their service, but they will be responsible for paying for the entire initial 12-month subscription.

There are two payment options available depending on the volume purchased: credit card and invoice. To qualify for invoicing, the total invoice must be equal or greater than $500 per month in the United States, $50 in India, or $250 in all other countries.

Note: Regional prices may vary.

Please ensure you enter a valid company tax code for your location. If you do not complete this field the system will set to a default and may give you incorrect information.

As a Windows Intune customer, you are entitled to the following benefits while your subscriptions are active:

• Upgrade rights to Windows 7 Enterprise for all your PCs that are covered by Windows Intune, as long as they meet the minimum system requirements for Windows 7.
• Access to download Volume Licensing media for Windows 7 Enterprise (and prior versions) and activation keys so that you can install the desired version of Windows on your PCs.
• Rights to upgrade to future versions of Windows, as well as downgrade rights to older versions.
• Rights to run instances of Windows on up to 4 virtual operating system environments on each licensed PC. The Windows Intune cloud service can manage one virtual Windows OS environment in addition to one physical.

Note: For customers who purchased Windows Intune through the Microsoft Online Services Customer Portal (MOCP) that wish to cancel their cancel subscription, they may purchase the buyout option by contacting support in order to maintain perpetual use rights to their upgraded Windows OS license. Devices must have been covered for a minimum of 12 months to qualify for a buyout. If a customer does not wish to purchase the Buyout, they will need to uninstall the upgraded version.

As long as you continue to pay for the Windows Intune subscription license, the license can be reassigned to a replacement device. For reassignment, replacement devices must have a qualifying OS.

MDOP is available for test and evaluation if you meet one of the following criteria:

• You are a Windows Software Assurance (SA) customer. MDOP is available to SA customers through the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center.
• You are a Microsoft MSDN or TechNet subscriber. You can visit either of the following links (as appropriate) to access the download:
  • msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/downloads/default.aspx?PV=42:178
  • technet.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/downloads/default.aspx?PV=42:178
• Contact your Microsoft account representative if you do not participate in either of the above subscriptions.

Note: When downloading the trial of MDOP, you do not need to follow the steps outlined for access to the Asset Inventory Service. Asset inventory capabilities are included in the Windows Intune cloud service.