How can MSPs effectively implement and manage Intune? Modern endpoint advice from the field

Microsoft Intune is no longer the lightweight companion tool it once was. With major investments from Microsoft and deep integration across the Microsoft 365 (M365) ecosystem, Intune has become a foundational piece of modern endpoint management. For MSPs, this shift means it’s time to reconsider legacy approaches, especially tools like Group Policy and traditional RMMs that were built for on-premises environments. 

Modern endpoint management is about scalability, consistency, and security. It replaces manual, one-off processes with streamlined, policy-driven frameworks that work across distributed environments. 

 And Intune, especially when paired with Nerdio, gives MSPs the ability to manage devices smarter, not harder. But to get it right, you need a clear strategy, the right tools, and a mindset shift toward cloud-native operations. 

Why Intune deserves your attention now 

Microsoft is investing heavily in Intune as the core of endpoint management. Tightened integration with M365, simplified licensing, and new features like security baselines and Local Admin Password Solutions (LAPS) reflect this shift. For MSPs, that means Intune is quickly becoming table stakes for modern, scalable management. 

Common challenges when getting started 

Many MSPs adopt Intune in a “homebrew” way—piecemeal, without structure, and often without understanding key settings (like auto-enrollment). This leads to slow deployments, inconsistent policy application, and frustration. The biggest pitfall? Trying to replicate GPOs 1:1 in Intune without stepping back to plan. 

Best practices from successful deployments 

• Embrace the clean slate approach: Don’t lift and shift legacy GPOs. Use Microsoft’s Group Policy Analytics to analyze and rebuild policies intentionally. 

• Leverage Autopilot and dynamic groups: Autopilot enables zero-touch deployments. Pair it with dynamic groups to ensure proper policy targeting without the need for organizational unit hierarchy. 

• Start small: Avoid bloated onboarding. Deploy only essential apps (e.g., Office, RMM, browser) initially, then layer in others post-login. 

Real-world use cases: BYOD and policy drift detection 

Secure BYOD with Mobile Application Management (MAM)
When employees use personal devices for work, full device management often isn’t practical (or welcome). Intune’s MAM capabilities let MSPs secure business data without enrolling the entire device. By wrapping protections around apps like Outlook, Teams, and Edge, MSPs can enforce controls like blocking copy/paste, requiring encryption, and preventing data transfer to personal apps.

It’s a lightweight but powerful way to manage risk in BYOD scenarios, especially when paired with app protection policies that adjust based on platform (iOS vs Android).  

Detect and resolve policy drift across tenants
As MSPs scale, maintaining policy consistency becomes harder, especially when multiple technicians or clients make changes directly in Intune. Nerdio solves this with built-in policy drift detection. It monitors every policy against its intended state, flags any unauthorized or unexpected changes, and gives MSPs the option to fix (revert) or accept the drift.

For added control, policies can also be configured to auto-sync and self-correct. This ensures that standards stay enforced—even across dozens of tenants—and that no configuration changes go unnoticed. 

Where Nerdio adds value 

While Intune is powerful, it wasn’t built for multi-tenant MSP environments. That’s where Nerdio Manager for MSP comes in. It adds: 

• Centralized management across tenants. 

• Policy versioning and rollback. 

• Policy drift detection with fix or auto-sync options. 

• Global views of policy health and compliance. 

• Unified app deployment from a central repository. 

Together, Intune and Nerdio empower MSPs to reduce complexity, enforce consistency, and improve security at scale. 

Next steps for Intune success 

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your approach, the key to Intune success is thoughtful planning and a focus on manageability. Want to see how top MSPs are doing it? Watch the full webinar recording for a full breakdown with actionable next steps. 

Ready to jump right into the deep end? Book an Intune strategy session and start getting the most from Intune right away.