Setting up a business laptop by hand means installing applications, applying settings, enabling encryption, and joining it to company accounts, one machine at a time. Windows Autopilot and Microsoft Intune turn that into a repeatable, largely automatic process.
What Autopilot does
Autopilot registers a computer to your organization using its hardware identifier. When the device is turned on and connected to the internet, it recognizes that it belongs to your company, prompts the employee to sign in with their work account, and hands control to Intune.
What Intune does next
Intune applies the policies you've defined: security settings, BitLocker encryption, Windows Update rules, Wi-Fi and VPN profiles, and required applications such as Microsoft 365 apps and your line-of-business software. The employee sees a progress screen, then a ready-to-use computer.
What you need
- Microsoft Entra ID and Intune licensing, both included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium.
- Devices registered with Autopilot, ideally by the manufacturer or reseller at purchase. Existing devices can be registered manually.
- Configuration and compliance policies designed and tested before the first rollout.
The benefits
- Consistency: every device gets the same settings and security.
- Speed: devices can ship directly to remote employees.
- Recovery: a misbehaving laptop can be reset and rebuilt to the standard configuration.
The upfront work is in designing the policies. Once that's done, every new or replacement computer benefits from it.
Founder of Albano Tech, providing managed IT, Microsoft 365, and cybersecurity services to businesses in Delaware, Maryland, and the Philadelphia region. More about Zach.
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Albano Tech provides Device Management & Intune for businesses in Delaware, Maryland, and the Philadelphia region.