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Microsoft delivers version 3 of Windows Intune PC management service

Microsoft latest version of its PC management and security service adds more mobile-device management and Active Directory integration.
Written by Mary Jo Foley, Senior Contributing Editor

Version 3 of Microsoft's Windows Intune PC management service will be available for download, as of June 11, Microsoft officials announced at the company's TechEd North America conference.

The newest version -- which Microsoft released to beta testers in April -- adds new mobile-device management and Active Directory integration.

The latest version includes the ability to download “licensed available line-of-business software applications” on devices running iOS and Android. According to the documentation, the new Intune release will support Windows Phones running version 7.0 or later of the Windows Phone OS; iPads, iPad 2s and iPhones running iOS 4.0 or later; and Android-based phones devices running Android 2.1 or later. Microsoft officials said in April that Windows 8 won't be supported by Windows Intune until after Windows 8 is released.

It also includes a new company portal; more granular deployment functionality; and enhancements to alerts, policy, updates and remote tasks. The new release is integrated with Active Directory Domain Services and Windows Azure Active Directory, the cloud complement of Microsoft's directory service.

Microsoft delivered version 2.0 of Windows Intune in October 2011. Windows Intune enables businesses to manage and secure PCs. It also provides users with rights to current and future versions of Windows — similar to what they’d get if they signed up for Microsoft’s Software Assurance volume-licensing program.  Windows Intune is comprised of two components: On-premises Windows and Windows management tools, plus an online management and security service. Windows Intune evolved from a Microsoft project known as System Center Online Desktop Manager (SCODM).

The latest version of Windows Intune will be available from Microsoft's Intune Web site.

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