Many organizations haven’t fully adopted Microsoft Intune-often for valid reasons. Most organizations run ConfigMgr and Intune side-by-side, and many have practical reasons for doing so.
Your manager says, “We need to go to �the cloud,'” and although Microsoft promotes Intune, teams still struggle with the platform’s capability gaps.
Over time, many teams have fine-tuned ConfigMgr to manage thousands of endpoints and countless settings. And it’s easier said than done to move it all to the cloud.
The Struggle
Application delivery and management is hard. Teams often spend weeks getting the right application to the right user. Large packaging teams fine-tune installers for specific user groups. The packages we create must reach laptops, PCs, VDIs, and other device types.
Where Intune Hits Its Limits
Can Intune fill every gap? In some cases, yes-but for complex, multi-step packages and user exceptions, not yet. And this is precisely why many companies are still running in a co-managed state. Intune continues to improve, but teams miss the flexibility of ConfigMgr. Intune doesn’t yet handle complex applications-the kind many environments depend on.
Let’s face it, you are not just managing applications. You are managing application settings, user environment settings, and countless exceptions. Different users require different settings and configurations. Think language packs, drive mappings, or alternate software versions. The list of requirements is endless.
Currently, teams typically develop a distinct package for each department, resulting in hundreds of packages, each requiring approximately eight hours to complete. For many organizations, this level of complexity presents significant challenges when transitioning to Intune.
Virtual Desktops Add Complexity
Next, add virtual-desktop platforms such as Citrix, Omnissa, or Azure Virtual Desktop (Windows 365) to the mix. Who is going to build that image? Who is going to deploy the applications and maintain the settings? Often, the answer is not Microsoft Intune. Teams then fall back on ConfigMgr. There you have the flexibility to create the task sequences you need.
But now you have two solutions, both with different application packages. Twice the maintenance time and cost. And there is your split-brain!
Two Toolsets Add to Your Workload
For the moment, everything works. Laptops run on Intune, applications deploy successfully, and virtual desktops rely on ConfigMgr for the same tasks.
Now it’s time to update some of the applications. Updates happen twice-once in each environment-often by separate teams with inconsistent outcomes. That duplication slows time-to-market, increases vulnerability risk, and inflates packaging costs.
How Recast Application Workspace Closes the Gaps
Recast Software helps teams move to Microsoft Intune quickly while preserving needed flexibility. No more split-brain management. Recast Application Workspace works in combination with Intune to manage every device, physical or virtual, cloud-based or on-premises. Let’s import all your applications into Application Workspace. Say goodbye to manual packaging! Even better, our Release & Patch service keeps most applications updated automatically-no manual effort required.
At Recast, we love Microsoft Autopilot and Intune. But let’s face it, application management is not the best part of Microsoft Intune.
Application Workspace builds universal packages for every Windows platform, unifying deployment across golden images, physical devices, and cloud desktops. Intune simply triggers those deployments, ensuring a consistent user experience.
There is no longer a need for separate solutions!
Smart Icons Create a Seamless User Experience
Our Smart Icons hide the complexity-users click, and the correct version launches. Deployments become hassle-free on any platform. Embed Smart Icons into Microsoft Teams, a self-service portal, or any UI for a seamless experience. Recast handles everything-from deployment to patching to single sign-on.
Conclusion: Move to Intune with Confidence
Most organizations are aiming to standardize on Microsoft Intune. With the combination of Microsoft Intune and Recast Application Workspace, we remove the usual roadblocks to get there. Recast builds on Microsoft standards and adds automation where they stop. Together we can get the best out of your Microsoft subscription and enable your cloud strategy.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nico Zieck, Director Solution Engineering, Recast Software
