Forum Discussion
Free Azure / Intune For Testing
My organization utilizes Azure and Intune for device management. Testing features requires several layers of red tape. In most situations, I'm not even sure that the feature I want to test will even solve the problem I am facing. Until I get all the necessary approvals, business justification, etc. etc. I can't even try the solution. This is a waste of resources.
I would like for a completely separate Azure & Intune instance to be available for enterprise customer's technical employees. This would help us understand the offerings, kick the tires and be able to confidently advocate for Microsoft services.
Free or 'pay-as-you-go' is just not sufficient. I think it would be obvious from a Microsoft perspective that these dev instances are not being used for production use. I'm talking under 10 or under Entra-Joined devices. In Intune, perhaps something like 10 or under Apps. There can be several limitations on dev instances.
2 Replies
Hi,
When it comes to Azure, the sandbox is an option if you don't want to use Pay-As-You-Go. However, for Intune, I recommend https://cdx.transform.microsoft.com/, where you have the option to create a one-year tenant or three 90-day tenants. In this case, you can simply create an account in Azure with the same tenant, add credit, and receive $200 to experiment with.
Feel free to reach out if you have more questions.
How about this:
- Microsoft Sandbox Offerings:
- Microsoft could consider providing "sandbox environments" tailored to enterprise customers. These environments would have pre-defined limitations, such as:
- Device limits: e.g., max 10 Entra-joined devices.
- App limits: e.g., max 10 apps in Intune.
- These instances could come with read-only billing or reporting, ensuring they aren't used for production while allowing exploration.
- Partner and Enterprise Programs:
- Microsoft has programs like the Enterprise Skills Initiative (ESI) and Partner Networks that sometimes offer hands-on labs and environments for testing new features. Expanding these programs to include isolated dev instances for technical employees could address your concern.
