Quick Differences Between MDM for Office 365 and Microsoft Intune

On Monday, March 30, Microsoft blasted out an announcement that it has now integrated a subset of Microsoft Intune management features into Office 365. Called MDM for Office 365, the solution should provide enough management capabilities for most small businesses. Tony has the coverage, including his thoughts, here: MDM for Office 365 - better than EAS policies, but not quite full mobile device management

But, as we've come to understand, Microsoft's new business model is all about Freemium services. The company wants to throw customers a dry carrot or two with free versions of its products, but make them pay for the water to wash it down. MDM for Office is no different, even though it's meant for businesses. But, there's still something to be said for waking up one morning to find the company's Office 365 subscription has been improved with device management capabilities – for free. Obviously, Microsoft wants you to pay for Microsoft Intune, and MDM for Office 365 is the gateway drug to better device management. Additionally, Microsoft Intune gets new feature updates monthly now so the difference gap will become wider and wider quickly.

So, what are you really getting with the free management pieces in Office 365? And, what's the big differences between MDM for Office 365 and Microsoft Intune?

Here's a quick overview of the major differences to help you decide if MDM is enough, or if you actually need the more robust feature set offering in Microsoft Intune.

To get full a understanding of MDM for Office 365's capabilities and especially its potential drawbacks, read through Tony's article: MDM for Office 365 - better than EAS policies, but not quite full mobile device management