Intune update for March coming this week!

Today Microsoft announced the next update to the Microsoft Intune cloud service for mobile devices:
http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoftintune/archive/2015/03/04/march-updates-coming-this-week-to-microsoft-intune.aspx

Updates include:

Ability to streamline the enrollment of iOS devices purchased directly from Apple or an authorized reseller with the Device Enrollment Program (DEP)

Ability to restrict access to SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business based upon device enrollment and compliance policies

Management of OneDrive apps for iOS and Android devices

Ability to deploy .appx files to Windows Phone 8.1 devices

Ability to restrict the number of devices a user can enroll in Intune

These updates are for the cloud only service.  If you are using the Hybrid or "Unified" approach which has Intune integrated into your SCCM console then you will see the following changes:

•  create custom WiFi profiles with pre-shared keys (PSK) for Android devices

Microsoft, as you have seen over the last year, has increased the cadence at software distribution. None is so apparent as the Intune updates.  If we simply look at Intune from where it started several years ago to today is had greatly improved and is now in the running with other Mobile Device vendors.

Items that I would like to see in Intune is the ability to run it on Server class machines so that small companies can fully utilize the cloud based solution.  I can see Intune Partners or Vendors managing large number of small companies completely from Intune.  Then when a new version of Java is deployed all the small companies can pilot and then opt in and recieve it. 

The one problem is that Inune is individual tenant based and we need to look at a "Intune console" similar to what you have in SCCM to manage different site codes, collection of systems in order to manage all the companies effectively as many branches of a single company depending on what the deployment. 

While each "branch" might have a different need, this can be handled by the branch admins or even by the Intune Partner. 

Just some thoughts......