What is Windows Autopilot, exactly?
Windows Autopilot is a suite of technology used to set up and pre-configure new devices: from laptop and desktop computers, to cellphones and tablets — so they’re immediately ready to use. Windows Autopilot can also reset, repurpose, and recover devices, which enables an IT department to achieve all of the above with little to no infrastructure management.
More importantly, why Microsoft Autopilot?
In a nutshell, the Windows Autopilot simplifies the entire Windows device lifecycle, for both IT and end users. How? Traditionally, IT professionals spend a huge amount of time customizing device deployment. Windows Autopilot automates the set-up, deployment and end-of-life processes, significantly cutting down on overhead costs and easing the experience as a whole.
With Autopilot, it only takes a few simple steps to prepare a device for use. From the IT perspective, the only requirement to get the user connected to a network is credential verification. Once deployed, the rest is automated! Windows 10 devices can be managed by tools such as Microsoft Intune, Windows Update for Business, System Center Configuration Manager, and other similar tools.
There’s a lot of capabilities with Windows Autopilot, but here are two of the key benefits:
- User-Empowered Focus. Most new users don’t want to waste valuable time getting their settings up and running, and most IT teams are already at capacity. The user-centric focus of Autopilot puts the controls in the hands of the users, saving time, and allowing your entire team to focus on what they do best… and get to work faster!
- Pre-Configured Access. Users will have immediate access to the latest versions of the Microsoft Suite, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook and Teams – without the dependance on IT to continually install and/or update them. Settings for these applications are also automatically applied and installed via Autopilot and Intune.
How Can You Make Windows Autopilot Work For Your Business?
With Microsoft Intune and Autopilot, you can set your team up with new devices without the need to build, maintain, and apply custom operating system images to the devices. When you use Intune to manage Autopilot devices, you can manage policies, profiles, apps, and more after they’re enrolled.
More specifically, Windows Autopilot enables you to:
- Automatically link devices to Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) or Active Directory (via Hybrid Azure AD Join)
- Customize OOBE content
- Auto-enroll devices into MDM services (such as Microsoft Intune)
- Define the Administrator account creation
- Create and auto-assign devices to configuration groups based on a device’s profile
- Utilize reset capabilities to quickly prepare for a new user
Using cloud-based services, Windows Autopilot can help your business:
- Reduce the time IT spends on managing the entire device lifecycle
- Save valuable time and resources, freeing up IT for other initiatives
- Reduce the oversight required to maintain the devices
- Maximize overall ease-of-use for a range of user types
- Reduce cost and complexity involved with custom imaging
You can also use Intune and Windows Autopilot to set up hybrid Azure Active Directory (Azure AD)-joined devices. But don’t worry, we’re here to do the heavy lifting!
Our certified engineers will get you up and running on Windows Autopilot & Intune Proof of Concept. Here’s how:
- Set up and configuration of up to 15 devices
- Configuration of Windows 10 Intune Enrollment
- Configuration of Windows 10 Hybrid Azure AD Join
- Configuration of Windows 10 Autopilot Hybrid Azure AD Join
- Test and optimize on all the above
- Deploy up to 15 devices for Proof of Concept