“Thank you again for tuning in. Here were some of the top questions that came through last week. For more frequently asked questions, visit the Windows Intune FAQ or you can post your questions to the Windows Intune Discussion Forum.

  • How much does Windows Intune cost? - Windows Intune is $11 USD per PC per month
  • Does Windows Intune replace WSUS? -Yes, Windows Intune has functionality parity with WSUS. But it does much more than WSUS, as it also includes , upgrade rights to Windows 7 Enterprise and future versions of Windows, software and hardware inventory, remote assistance, malware protection, and policy.
  • Can mobile phones or non-Windows devices be managed? - Windows Intune only managed Windows-based PC`s today
  • Is there a minimum number of PCs required to use Windows Intune? - There is no minimum - you can purchase a single-seat license if you wish. If you would like to try Windows Intune, you can get a free 30 day trial account that comes with 25 seats.
  • Can I replace my anti-virus with Windows Intune? - Yes, Windows Intune includes endpoint protection for your PCs.
  • Will Intune work with a thin client environment? - At this point in time Windows Intune does not support installations on thin clients
  • How does Windows Intune work for a service provider to manage separate customers? - For service providers that are the administrator for multiple customer accounts, they will see the multi-account console when they log in with their Live ID. In the multi-account console, they will see a list of all their customers and a snapshot of their health. From there, they can easily and quickly click into a specific customer account to take action.
  • Can Windows Intune help manage and monitor servers? - Windows Intune is designed to help customers protect and manage their PCs and cannot 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.
  • Does communication between the Windows Intune client and the service go through port 443? - Correct. All communication between the client and service are secured.
  • What is the Windows Intune Center? - The Windows Intune Center is the client software installed on each end-user PC that is managed by the Windows Intune service. From the Windows Intune Center, an end-user can do the following:
  • Request remote assistance
  • Check on the update status of their computer.
  • Scan their computer or a removable device such as a USB drive or external hard drive.
  • Can we watch this after its complete? - Yes, the Windows Intune Technology Tune-Up is available for viewing here.
  • What operating systems does Windows Intune support? -
  • Windows 7 Enterprise, Ultimate, and Professional
  • Windows Vista Enterprise, Ultimate, and Business
  • Windows XP Professional with Service Pack (SP) 2; SP3 recommended
  • How is a customer’s hardware and software inventory information kept private? - The multi-tenant, secure architecture of the service separates out each customer account from others.  Each enrolled client includes an account/customer specific certificate that enforces this separation. Inventory or other administrative actions do not cross account/customer boundaries.
  • Can you decrease the amount of licenses you subscribe to during the 12 month contract? - You can cancel any time within 30 days of purchase and will be billed for the first month. Cancellations can be made after that point, but you will be responsible for paying for the entire initial 12-month subscription. After the initial 12-month subscription you can call to cancel any time. The cancellation will take effect at the end of the following subscription month.