Today's topic is one that almost everyone has heard of,
but most people get wrong.
I'm talking about SCCM and Intune.
You've probably heard both names thrown around,
and it's easy to assume they're basically
the same tool with different names,
two Microsoft products that both manage devices, right?
Well, not exactly, actually,
they're two very different tools
with different strengths, different philosophies
and different infrastructure requirements.
And picking the wrong one means you could waste time
and money on infrastructure you don't need
or miss the control you actually want.
By the end of this episode,
you'll understand what each tool actually does,
how they compare side by side
and which one makes sense for your organization.
So grab your coffee and let's dive in.
The core problem, managing devices at scale.
Let's start with the problem, both tools are trying to solve.
If you only have five computers in your office,
you don't need either one.
You can walk over and install software, run updates
and fix things yourself and that works fine.
But what happens with 500 computers or 5,000 or 50,000?
The manual approach stops working very quickly.
You can't have IT staff walking to every desk
to install a security patch
and you can't check each machine one by one
for the right antivirus.
It just doesn't scale.
20 years ago, this was a huge problem for large organizations.
IT teams had to physically visit machines,
install software from CDs and run updates one at a time.
That was slow, expensive and error prone.
Microsoft looked at this problem and built two solutions,
one for the old world where everything lived
in your own building on your own servers
and one for the new world, where devices are everywhere,
users work remotely and the cloud handles the heavy lifting
the first is SCCM and the second is in tune.
They solve the same core problem, but in completely different ways.
So before we compare them head to head,
we need to understand what each one actually is.
What is SCCM, the on-premises powerhouse?
SCCM stands for System Center Configuration Manager.
Though you might also hear it called
Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager or MECM for short.
That's the new name, but most people still call it SCCM.
Here's the simplest definition.
SCCM is an on-premises tool that you run on your own servers
inside your own building on your own network.
It's software you install and maintain yourself
and it's been the go-to for large enterprises
for over two decades.
SCCM works using what's called an agent-based model.
A small piece of software gets installed
on every device you want to manage
and that agent reports back to the SCCM server receives commands
and carries out tasks.
It's like having a tiny IT assistant living on each computer,
waiting for instructions.
So what can SCCM actually do?
A lot.
First, operating system deployment.
You can push out windows to hundreds of new machines at once,
saving days of manual effort, then software distribution.
Install applications like Office or Chrome
across your entire organization from one central console.
It also handles patch management
so you can roll out security updates
on a schedule during maintenance windows
with full control over timing and targeting.
Compliance reporting shows which machines
meet your security standards and which don't.
An inventory gives you a complete picture
of hardware and software across your environment.
Large enterprises have relied on this tool
for more than 20 years.
It's mature, powerful, and gives IT teams
deep granular control over Windows devices.
Need to deploy a complex application
with dependencies and custom scripts?
SCCM can handle it.
Need to image a hundred new laptops
with a custom operating system build?
That too.
But here's the thing.
SCCM requires serious infrastructure.
You need domain controllers, SQL servers, site servers,
distribution points, management points,
and people who know how to set it all up
and keep it running is not something you just turn on
and forget about.
And that's where it sibling comes in.
A tool from Microsoft that takes a completely different approach.
One that doesn't need any of that infrastructure at all.
What is Intune?
The Cloud Native Modern Tool.
Now let's talk about the other option, Intune.
Here's the simplest definition.
It's a cloud-based service.
No service to buy.
No infrastructure to maintain.
No SQL databases to manage.
Everything runs inside Microsoft's Azure Data Centers.
You sign in through a web browser, configure your policies,
and you're done.
Instead of the agent-based model, Intune
uses a profile-based model.
Devices enroll directly with the service
over the internet, receive policies and configurations,
and check in periodically to report their status.
No agent software to install.
No management points to configure.
The device talks directly to the cloud.
That's a big difference in scope.
SCCM is primarily a Windows tool.
It can manage some other platforms,
but it's hard and soul is Windows.
Intune, on the other hand, supports Windows, Mac OS, iOS,
and Android.
So if you have a mixed environment with iPhones
for executives, Android tablets for field workers,
and MacBooks for the design team,
Intune can manage all of them from the same console.
So what can Intune actually do?
It handles device enrollment, uses
can join their own devices, or IT can pre-configure them.
It handles application deployment to Windows, Mac, iOS,
and Android.
Conditional access policies require devices
to be compliant before they can access company data.
Compliance policies define what a healthy device looks like
and generate reports.
And Windows update rings, let patches roll out
in a controlled way, without needing WS/US or on-premises
infrastructure.
This is the direction Microsoft is investing in for the future.
Almost every new feature in endpoint management
is being built for Intune first.
The cloud native approach is where development resources are
going.
So we've got two tools that both manage devices, one runs
on your servers with agents, the other runs in the cloud
with profiles.
They're fundamentally different under the hood,
and we're going to dig into what that actually means.
On-premises versus cloud, the big difference.
Actually, the big difference between SCCM and Intune
comes down to just one thing--
infrastructure.
SCCM needs a lot of it.
You need domain controllers for authentication,
SQL servers to host the site database, site servers
to run the core management role, distribution points
to host content that devices download,
and management points for client communication.
Each of these is a separate server--
or multiple servers, or running Windows server,
consuming licenses requiring patches, needing backups.
Intune needs one thing, an internet connection.
That's it.
No servers, no SQL databases, no distribution points,
no management points.
The infrastructure is Microsoft's problem, not yours.
This difference shows up in every part of how these tools work.
Take deployment methods.
In SCCM, deploying a new operating system
to a computer typically involves PXC boot.
The device boots from the network,
connects to a distribution point,
and runs a task sequence that partitions the drive,
installs Windows, applies settings, and installs applications.
It's powerful, but it requires the device
to be on the corporate network connected
to the right infrastructure.
Intune takes a completely different approach
with Windows autopilot.
A new laptop arrives from the manufacturer,
already registered in your tenant.
The user turns it on, connects to Wi-Fi,
and signs in with their work credentials.
From there, Windows configures itself automatically,
applications install from the cloud, and policies apply.
The device is ready to use in minutes, no imaging,
no PXC boot, and no IT staff needed.
Update management follows the same pattern.
SCCM integrates with WSUS, Windows Server Update Services,
to download and approve patches.
You configure maintenance Windows,
create deployment packages, target collections,
and monitor compliance.
It gives you deep control, but there are a lot of moving parts.
Intune uses Windows Update for business.
You create update rings, groups of devices
with the same update settings, and decide
how fast updates roll out when deadlines happen,
and what features to defer.
Devices check directly with Microsoft's update servers,
no WSUS, no distribution points, no maintenance
windows to configure, and security integration
follows the same split.
Intune connects natively with Azure Active Directory
and conditional access.
The device reports its compliance status.
If it's not compliant, missing an update,
no encryption, outdated antivirus,
conditional access can block it from accessing email teams
or SharePoint.
It happens automatically in real time,
without any on-premises infrastructure.
SCCM has its own compliance engine.
It can evaluate policies, generate reports, and remediate issues,
but it doesn't integrate as seamlessly
with cloud identity and access controls.
You can make it work, but it takes more effort and more pieces.
These differences aren't abstract.
They matter depending on what you're actually trying to do.
If your workforce is in one building,
on the corporate network, with standardized Windows Desktops,
SCCM's depth might be exactly what you need.
But if your workforce is spread across the country,
working from home on a mix of devices,
Intune's cloud native approach starts to look
a lot more practical.
What each tool does best feature comparison.
So let's put them side by side on the tasks
I teams do every day.
This is where the differences really show up.
Start with application deployment.
In SCCM, you have full control.
You can create complex deployments with dependencies.
Install this, then that, then check for a registry key
before proceeding.
You can schedule deployments for specific times,
target specific collections, and configure superceedings
so old versions get replaced automatically.
If you need to deploy a line of business application
with custom scripts and multiple MSI files, SCCM handles it,
Intune can deploy applications too.
Win32 apps, Microsoft Store Apps, line of business apps.
But it's simpler.
You upload the installer, configure detection rules,
and assign it to a group.
It works well for most common scenarios.
But if you need deep orchestration and sequencing, SCCM still wins.
Now OS deployment, this is where SCCM really shines.
Task sequences let you do bare metal deployments.
A blank hard drive becomes a fully configured Windows machine
with applications, settings, and security policies.
You can do in place upgrades from Windows 10 to Windows 11
and customize every step of the process.
Intune takes a different approach with Windows autopilot.
The device arrives, the user signs in,
and the cloud does the rest.
It's faster, simpler, and works great for modern hardware.
But if you need to re-image existing machines,
handle complex upgrade scenarios
or deploy custom Windows images, SCCM's task sequences
are still the gold standard.
Compliance in reporting is another area
where the tools diverge.
SCCM has SQL Server Reporting Services,
so you can build custom reports on almost anything,
which machines have a specific software,
which are missing a critical update,
what hardware configurations exist across your fleet.
The reporting is deep and customizable,
but it takes work to set up.
Intune has cloud-based dashboards
that are much easier to use.
You can see compliance status at a glance,
drill into specific devices and export reports.
It's less customizable than SCCM,
but for most organizations, it's enough.
Mobile Device Management is Intune's territory.
SCCM doesn't manage phones or tablets, period.
If you have iPhones, Android devices, or iPads in your organization,
Intune is the tool you need.
It handles enrollment, app deployment, compliance policies,
and remote wipe for mobile devices.
SCCM simply can't do that.
And Server Management goes the other way.
SCCM handles servers, patching, monitoring, inventory,
software deployment.
It's built for it.
Intune has some server support through Azure Arc,
but it's limited.
If you're managing Windows Server infrastructure,
SCCM is still the right tool.
So you can see the pattern.
SCCM gives you depth and control
for complex Windows and server scenarios.
Intune gives you simplicity and cross-platform support
for modern endpoints.
But what if you need both?
Co-management, running both at once.
That's where Co-management comes in.
It's Microsoft's supported model,
where a single device runs under both SCCM
and Intune at the same time, not either or, but both.
Let's break down how this works.
You enable Co-management on your SCCM managed devices.
They enroll in Intune and now both tools
manage them simultaneously.
But you decide which tool handles which task.
Microsoft calls these workloads sliders,
think of them like a control panel with switches.
For each category of management, compliance policies,
device configuration, Windows updates,
endpoint protection, application deployment,
you slide the switch to either SCCM or Intune.
That tool becomes the authority for that workload
and the other tool steps back.
For example, you could keep application deployment
in SCCM because your complex deployments
still need the depth but slide compliance policies
to Intune for cloud-native conditional access integration.
You could keep Windows updates in SCCM
with your existing maintenance windows
but slide endpoint protection to Intune
so Defender policies live in the cloud.
You decide workload by workload at your own pace.
There's also a feature called tenant attach
which surfaces your SCCM managed devices
inside the Intune console.
So even if you're not ready to move workloads,
you can see all your devices in one place,
run reports, take actions, and get that unified view
without changing how anything works.
This makes co-management a gradual migration path.
Most organizations use it for 12 to 18 months,
starting with the easy workloads like compliance
and endpoint protection, then moving updates,
then applications step-by-step workload by workload
until Intune handles most of the load
and SCCM only does what it does best.
And here's the thing that surprises a lot of people licensing.
If you have Microsoft 365 e3 or e5,
you usually already have rights to both SCCM and Intune
so running both doesn't cost extra.
The licensing is already covered.
There's no financial reason not to use co-management
if it makes sense for your environment.
Co-management is the bridge letting you keep what works
while moving towards what's next,
but where you start depends entirely on your organization.
Decision framework, which one should you use?
So you've seen how both tools work, how they compare,
and how co-management bridges the gap.
The question now is simple, which one should you actually use?
Let's break it down by scenario.
Use SCCM if you have a large on-premises environment.
If your organization has hundreds or thousands
of Windows desktop's in offices connected to a corporate network
with IT staff managing everything locally.
If you need task sequences for OS deployment,
imaging new machines, upgrading operating systems,
handling complex build processes,
or if you manage servers, patching, monitoring, inventory,
if you require deep custom reporting
that pulls data from SQL databases
and generates detailed compliance audits,
SCCM is built for these scenarios.
It's mature, proven, and gives you the control you need.
On the other hand, use Intune if you're cloud-first.
If your organization has already moved most of its infrastructure
to the cloud or you're planning to.
If you have a remote workforce working from home,
coffee shops anywhere, if you need to manage mobile devices
like iPhones, Android phones, iPads,
if you're a smaller organization without dedicated IT infrastructure
or the budget for on-premises servers.
Intune gives you everything you need without the overhead.
And for large enterprises migrating to the cloud,
co-management is the bridge.
If you have existing SCCM infrastructure and expertise
but know the future is cloud-based, use co-management.
If you need the depth of SCCM for some workloads
like complex app deployments or server management,
but want cloud flexibility for compliance policies
or mobile device management, co-management lets you have both.
Shifting workloads at your own pace.
Here's a reality check.
Intune can handle roughly 80 to 85%
of typical device management scenarios.
That's a lot.
And for most organizations, Intune alone is enough,
but that 15 to 20% gap matters if you need it.
If you're in that gap, needing task sequences,
complex app dependencies, deep server management,
then SCCM or co-management is the right call.
A real example helps bring this to life.
Real-world example.
A company's migration.
Picture a mid-sized company with 2,000 Windows desktops
and 500 mobile devices.
They started with SCCM for everything
and for years it worked well.
The IT team knew that tool inside and out,
deployments were controlled, patching was predictable,
and life was good.
But then remote work happened.
Suddenly half the workforce was at home
and those on-premises patching cycles stopped working.
Devices that never left the office
were now scattered across the city.
VPN connections were slow,
and maintenance windows didn't apply
when machines were turned off at night.
The old model was breaking.
They didn't rip out SCCM overnight.
Instead, they spent 14 months implementing co-management.
First, they moved mobile device management to Intune,
all 500 iPhones and Android devices
now managed from the cloud.
Next came compliance policies.
Devices had to meet security standards
before accessing company data enforced through conditional access.
Then they moved Windows updates.
Update rings replaced maintenance windows
and devices checked directly with Microsoft servers
instead of the on-premises WSUs infrastructure.
But they kept task sequences in SCCM for situations
like deploying a custom operating system
image to a lab full of machines.
They also kept complex app deployments there.
The line of business applications
with custom scripts and multiple dependencies,
those stayed where the depth was.
By the time they finished,
server infrastructure costs were down by 60%.
They decommissioned distribution points,
management points and SQL servers.
The remote worker experience improved dramatically.
Devices got updates and policies without needing a VPN
and they still had deep control
for the legacy applications that required it.
That's the pattern more organizations are following.
Not a sudden switch,
but a gradual workload by workload migration.
Co-management is the bridge
and the destination is a modern cloud-connected
endpoint management strategy.
So here's what you need to remember.
SCCM and Intune solve the same problem in very different ways
on premises depth versus cloud simplicity.
Agent-based control versus profile-based flexibility.
One is a 20-year veteran.
The other is the future Microsoft is building.
Intune is the direction things are heading,
but SCCM is in dead.
It's still the right tool for complex Windows environments,
server management and organizations
that need deep control.
And Co-management gives you both,
a gradual path from one to the other at your own pace.
Here's your homework.
Look at your current environment
and identify one workload you could move to Intune this month.
Start with something simple.
Compliance policies may be a mobile device management.
Try it.
See how it feels.
You don't have to move everything at once.
If this episode helped you understand the difference
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