Managing applications across various devices is crucial for maintaining productivity and security in any organization. Microsoft Intune provides a comprehensive solution for app management, allowing administrators to deploy, configure, and protect applications seamlessly. It allows administrators to install and manage applications on multiple devices at the same time instead of logging into each device and installing applications one by one.
This blog will guide you through the process of adding Microsoft 365 Apps to Windows 10/11 devices using Microsoft Intune. Microsoft 365 Apps include: Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, etc.
Adding Microsoft 365 Apps to Intune
Before you can assign, monitor, configure, or protect apps, you must add them to Intune. Microsoft 365 App can be added to Intune and deployed to devices running Windows 10/11. Here’s how you can do it:
1. Sign in to Intune: Access the Microsoft Intune admin center using your administrator account credentials by going to Intune Admin Center.
2. Navigate to Apps: In the admin center, select Apps > All Apps (manages all applications for all platforms) > Add.
3. Select App Type: In the App type drop-down box, choose Microsoft 365 Apps for Windows 10/11.
4. App Suite Information: In this step, you will provide information about the app suite. This information helps you to identify the app suite in Intune, and it helps users to find the app suite in the company portal. In the App suite information page, you can confirm or modify the default values:
- Suite Name: Enter the name of the app suite as it is displayed in the company portal. Make sure that all suite names that you use are unique. If the same app suite name exists twice, only one of the apps is displayed to users in the company portal.
- Suite Description: Enter a description for the app suite. For example, you could list the apps you've selected to include.
- Publisher: Microsoft appears as the publisher.
- Category: Optionally, select one or more of the built-in app categories or a category that you created. This setting makes it easier for users to find the app suite when they browse the company portal.
- Show this as a featured app in the Company Portal: Select this option to display the app suite prominently on the main page of the company portal when users browse for apps. Please note: If you select "Yes" the app will show as a featured app in the Company Portal and the user will have to go to Company Portal and install add manually. If you select "No" if plan to install automatically.
- Information URL: Optionally, enter the URL of a website that contains information about this app. The URL is displayed to users in the company portal.
- Privacy URL: Optionally, enter the URL of a website that contains privacy information for this app. The URL is displayed to users in the company portal.
- Developer: Microsoft appears as the developer.
- Owner: Microsoft appears as the owner.
- Notes: Enter any notes that you want to associate with this app.
5. Click Next to display the Configure app suite page
Configuring App Suite
Intune allows you to configure the Microsoft 365 app suite to meet your organization’s needs. You can use the configuration designer or XML data to customize the installation:
1. Configuration Designer:
This tool provides a user-friendly interface to configure settings such as language, update channel, and app preferences. This does the deployment automatically with the help of Configuration Designer. Please see steps below:
Configure app Suite:
- On the Configuration app suite page choose Configuration designer.
- Select Office apps: Select the standard Microsoft 365 apps that you want to assign to devices by choosing the apps in the dropdown list.
- Select other Office apps (license required): Select additional Microsoft 365 apps that you want to assign to devices and that you have licenses for by choosing the apps in the dropdown list. These apps include licensed apps, such as Microsoft Project Online desktop client and Microsoft Visio Online Plan 2.
App Suite Information:
- Architecture: Choose whether you want to assign the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Microsoft 365 Apps. You can install the 32-bit version on both 32-bit and 64-bit devices, but you can install the 64-bit version on 64-bit devices only.
- Default file format: Choose whether you want to use Office Open Document Format or Office Open XML Format.
- Update Channel: Choose how Office is updated on devices. For information about the various update channels, see Overview of update channels for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. Choose from:
- Monthly
- Monthly (Targeted)
- Semi-Annual
- Semi-Annual (Targeted)
- After you choose a channel, you can choose the following:
- Remove other versions: Choose Yes to remove other versions of Office (MSI) from user devices. Choose this option when you want to remove pre-existing Office .MSI apps from end-user devices. The installation won't succeed if there are pre-existing .MSI apps on end-user devices. The apps to be uninstalled aren't limited to the apps selected for installation in Configure App Suite, as it will remove all Office (MSI) apps from the end user device. For more information, see Remove existing MSI versions of Office when upgrading to Microsoft 365 Apps. When Intune reinstalls Office on your end user's machines, end users will automatically get the same language packs that they had with previous .MSI Office installations.
- Version to install: Choose the version of Office that should be installed.
- Specific version: If you have chosen Specific as the Version to install in the above setting, you can select to install a specific version of Office for the selected channel on end user devices.
Properties:
- Use shared computer activation: Select this option when multiple users share a computer. For more information, see Overview of shared computer activation for Microsoft 365 Apps.
- Automatically accept the app end user license agreement: Select this option if you don't require end users to accept the license agreement. Intune then automatically accepts the agreement.
- Languages: Office is automatically installed in any of the supported languages that are installed with Windows on the end-user's device. Select this option if you want to install additional languages with the app suite.
2. XML Data:
For more advanced configurations, you can use XML data to define the app suite settings. This method is particularly useful for deploying the Microsoft 365 Apps for business edition. Configuration options for the Office Deployment Tool
Assignments
Assignments in Microsoft Intune refer to the process of distributing and managing applications, policies, and configurations to users and devices within an organization. This ensures that the right apps and settings are available to the appropriate users and devices.
1. Select the Required, Available for enrolled devices, or Uninstall group assignments for the app suite. For more information, see Add groups to organize users and devices and Assign apps to groups with Microsoft Intune.
2. Click Next to display the Review + create page.
Conclusion
Microsoft Intune simplifies the process of deploying and managing Microsoft 365 Apps across Windows 10/11 devices. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can ensure that your organization’s apps are deployed securely and efficiently, enhancing productivity and maintaining security.
