This is a continuation of a series of articles on Azure services from an operational engineering perspective with the most recent introduction to Microsoft Intune with the link here. The previous article mentioned Microsoft Intune with its device and application management capabilities. This article discusses the APIs for Microsoft Intune.  

These APIs serve to expose all features of Microsoft Intune for programmatic access. They can be used to define and enforce compliance policies, protect company data, create and deploy device configuration policies, create and deploy device access control policies, and perform remote actions to manage devices. They can be used to deploy apps to devices, manage access to eBooks, and define and deploy app configuration settings, app protection settings, and app usage policies. They can be used to automate defining and assigning role-based access control, auditing and reporting compliance, usage and access and managing telecom expenses. All the Intune APIs are made available via Microsoft Graph.

Microsoft Graph enables integration with the best of Microsoft 365, Windows 10 and Enterprise mobility and security services in Microsoft 365, using REST APIs and client libraries. It uses the concepts of users and groups to elaborate on these functionalities.  A user is an individual who uses Microsoft 365 cloud services and for Microsoft Graph, it is the focus for which the identity is protected, and access is well managed. The data associated with this entity and the opportunities to enrich the context, provide real-time information, and deep insights are what makes Microsoft Graph so popular. A group is the fundamental entity that lets users collaborate and integrate with other services which enable scenarios for task planning, teamwork, education and more.  

Microsoft 365 for enterprise is a complete, intelligent solution that empowers everyone to be creative and work together securely. It is designed for large organizations, but it can also be used for medium-sized and small businesses that need the most advanced security and productivity capabilities.

Microsoft 365 scenarios include productivity, collaboration, education, people, and workplace intelligence. It includes services that manage user and device identity, access, compliance, security and helps protect organizations from data leakage or loss.

The standard Microsoft 365 cloud is used by Enterprise, Academia and even home Office 365 tenants. It has the most features and tools, global availability and lowest prices. Since it’s the default choice between the clouds, everyone qualifies. That said there are sovereign 365 clouds for advanced data protection.

Together Intune, Microsoft Graph and Microsoft 365, can ensure a modern workplace.