Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager
This resource defines Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, covering its core features, use cases, and role in modern enterprise IT.
On-demand webinar
Nerdio Manager for MSP
Table of Contents
What is Microsoft endpoint configuration manager?
Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MECM), formerly SCCM, is an on-premises platform for managing large fleets of servers, desktops, and laptops. It gives IT centralized control to deploy software, enforce security policies, and manage device health at scale.
Its core purpose is to automate IT operations, ensure consistency across all computers, and strengthen an organization's security posture, making it a foundational tool for enterprise IT management.
Why is robust endpoint management critical for an enterprise?
In any large organization, the hundreds or thousands of computers used by employees are known as "endpoints." Without a centralized way to manage them, your organization is exposed to significant risk and inefficiency. Unmanaged endpoints can quickly lead to security breaches, software inconsistencies, and a heavy, reactive workload for your IT team.
A powerful endpoint management solution addresses these challenges directly, forming the foundation of a secure and efficient end user computing environment, which includes all the systems and services employees rely on to perform their work.
The key benefits include:
- Enhanced Security: You can proactively deploy security updates and enforce configuration policies across every device, drastically reducing your attack surface.
- Operational Efficiency: Automating routine tasks like software installation and system updates frees up your valuable IT resources to focus on more strategic initiatives.
- Guaranteed Compliance: You can easily report on the status of your devices to ensure they meet internal policies and external regulatory standards.
- Cost Savings: By optimizing software license usage and reducing device downtime, you can achieve significant savings on both software and operational costs.
What are the core capabilities of Configuration Manager?
Configuration Manager is a comprehensive suite of tools, but its functionality can be broken down into a few core areas. Each one provides granular control over a different aspect of the device lifecycle.
How does it handle operating system deployment?
Configuration Manager excels at deploying Windows operating systems at scale. Using features like task sequences and OS imaging, your IT team can execute "bare-metal" installations on new hardware or perform in-place upgrades on existing machines. For your business, this means a new employee can receive a laptop that is fully configured, secure, and ready for work in a fraction of the time it would take to set it up manually, ensuring they are productive from day one.
What are its software update and patch management features?
One of the most critical functions of Configuration Manager is keeping your systems patched and secure. It integrates deeply with Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) to give your IT team precise control over which updates get deployed to which devices and when. This ensures your organization is automatically protected from the latest known vulnerabilities and allows you to easily generate reports for security audits, proving all systems are compliant.
How does it manage applications for users?
Configuration Manager allows you to manage the entire application lifecycle. Through the "Software Center," you can create a self-service portal—like a private app store—where users can install pre-approved software themselves. For mandatory applications, your IT team can push installations to specific user groups or devices, set complex installation rules, and ensure that every user has the correct software tools for their role while preventing the use of unauthorized or insecure programs.
What kind of inventory and asset intelligence does it provide?
You can't manage what you can't see. Configuration Manager performs deep hardware and software inventory scans on every managed device. This data provides a complete and accurate picture of your IT environment, helping you answer critical business questions like, "Which computers are due for a hardware refresh?" or, "Are we paying for more software licenses than we are actually using?"
How does it contribute to endpoint protection and security?
Beyond just deploying patches, Configuration Manager helps you enforce a consistent security baseline. Your team can set and monitor thousands of configuration settings, manage Windows Defender Antivirus policies, and control Windows Firewall rules from a central console. This ensures every company-owned device adheres to your corporate security standards, hardening your defenses against threats.
How does Configuration Manager relate to Microsoft Intune?
One of the most common points of confusion is understanding the difference between Configuration Manager and Microsoft Intune. While both are used for endpoint management, they were designed for different purposes and excel in different scenarios. The distinction is particularly relevant for modern IT strategies that include Desktop as a Service (DaaS), a model where cloud providers deliver virtual desktops to any device, which relies heavily on cloud-native management.
| Aspect | Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MECM/SCCM) | Microsoft Intune |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Architecture | On-premises (requires servers) | Cloud-native (SaaS) |
| Primary Use Case | Managing corporate-owned, domain-joined PCs and servers inside the corporate network. | Managing mobile devices (iOS, Android) and PCs anywhere, including personal devices (BYOD). |
| Management Style | Deep, granular control over every aspect of the OS. Agent-based. | Modern, policy-based management focused on security and data access. Agentless (uses built-in OS APIs). |
| Key Strengths | Complex OS deployment, detailed inventory, server patching. | Zero-touch provisioning (Autopilot), mobile application management (MAM), conditional access policies. |
What does "co-management" mean for my organization?
Co-management is the bridge that connects Configuration Manager to Intune, allowing you to manage a Windows 10/11 device with both tools simultaneously. This approach allows you to leverage your existing investment and processes in Configuration Manager for heavy-duty tasks like OS deployment while using Intune's modern, cloud-powered capabilities for things like mobile security policies and managing Azure VDI environments, which deliver secure virtual desktops hosted in the cloud. It offers a practical path to gradually transition workloads to the cloud without disrupting your current operations.
Is Configuration Manager being replaced by Intune?
While Microsoft's strategic direction is "cloud-first" with Intune, Configuration Manager is not being replaced. It continues to be an essential tool for large enterprises with significant on-premises investments, especially for managing servers, data centers, and complex application deployments where its granular control is indispensable.
When should an enterprise use Configuration Manager?
In the modern, cloud-focused landscape, Configuration Manager remains the best choice for specific, critical use cases:
- You manage a large number of on-premises servers and data centers.
- You require highly complex and customized operating system deployments.
- Your industry has strict data sovereignty or regulatory rules that limit the use of cloud services for management.
- You need to manage devices located in sites with limited internet bandwidth.
These use cases often stand in contrast to modern management scenarios that leverage VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure), which centralizes a user's desktop environment on a server and streams it to them on any device, and is typically managed with cloud-native tools.
How can Nerdio help simplify and enhance your endpoint management strategy?
As your organization adopts platforms like Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Windows 365, which provide users with a secure, personalized Cloud PC experience accessible from anywhere, your endpoint management strategy must evolve. While Configuration Manager and Intune are powerful tools for physical devices, managing virtual desktop environments at scale presents a new set of challenges related to image management, session host automation, and cost optimization.
Nerdio Manager for Enterprise is an automation platform that complements your existing management tools. It sits on top of AVD and Windows 365 to automate the deployment, management, and optimization of your virtual desktop environment in Microsoft Azure. Nerdio helps bridge the gap between your traditionally managed physical endpoints and your new cloud-based virtual endpoints, ensuring a unified, efficient, and cost-effective strategy for your entire device ecosystem.
See this demo to learn how Nerdio gives you the tools to manage the Microsoft Cloud from AVD and Windows 365 to Microsoft 365 and Intune.
Optimize and save
See how you can optimize processes, improve security, increase reliability, and save up to 70% on Microsoft Azure costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager
Blog
Nerdio Manager for Enterprise
Smarter cloud desktop management in Nerdio Manager for Enterprise 7
Blog
Nerdio Manager for MSP
Smarter Microsoft 365 and AVD management in Nerdio Manager for MSP 6.0
About the author
