Managing mobile devices with Intune at Sir George Monoux College

The college needed to securely and remotely manage more than 350 mobile devices used by students, staff, and governors.

Our solution used Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager, Intune, and the college’s existing infrastructure to create a consistent management platform.

Results

Remote and secure device management for new and existing student devices

The college acquired 350 Surface tablets. These invaluable mobile devices were to be distributed to staff, students, and governors.

But the college quickly realised that they had a significant challenge on their hands to manage them all securely, as well as other devices, iPads and Androids, which students were bringing in.

They needed to allow users easy access to the right apps at the right time, control the way that the devices could be used, manage software updates, and keep sensitive data secure in the event of loss of a device.

Building a secure management console using Microsoft Intune and the college’s own infrastructure

Rapture Orafu, Senior IT Specialist from the college said: “We already had some infrastructure there that we could use to achieve what we had in mind. Kocho had already implemented an identity solution with Forefront Identity Manager. It was very clear to understand what we were putting into place and what the processes were.”

Mat Richards, Head of Enterprise Mobility and Security at Kocho recalls: “In the Cloud, we used Microsoft Intune for integrated, cloud-based client management service, which offered tools, reports, and upgraded licenses to the latest version of Windows.”

This allowed the college’s IT staff to manage the mobile devices on the college’s network directly through Intune. It could also handle iOS, Windows RT, and Windows Phone devices.

Kocho consultants integrated this with the college’s own on-premises Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager.

This created a consistent management experience; the ability to manage applications, service delivery, automation, and infrastructure management from one console. Staff could remotely monitor, administer, and amend hardware and software

For example, if a device was lost, any data on it could be encrypted, and the IT department could immediately wipe and remove any data on it that may have been sensitive, effectively restoring it to factory settings.

A secure connection to college resources and a smooth user experience for all

“There were a number of positive things for us,” says Orafu. “Being able to provide our remote users with a secure connection to College resources and Intune meant we could join devices to our domain. And being able to provide an environment where staff can work on their documents on their mobile devices using Workplace Folders instead of using Dropbox or USBs.”

The components in Kocho’s solution combined to create an incredibly smooth experience for students, staff, and governors. Users got resources and access when they needed it, and the college’s IT staff could maintain effective control and security.

They were able to control access, password complexity and length, and deploy custom-built applications for the devices with ease through an organisational portal.

Now, the college has a consistent management platform that allows them to maintain control of all their assets: their data, mobile devices, desktops, and servers.