Migrating frontline mobile devices: A frontline-first approach to moving to Microsoft Intune
Frontline organizations consistently tell us that unified management is the goal but the challenge is getting there without disrupting day-to-day operations. Smartphones, Android handhelds, rugged scanners, and shared tablets now sit at the center of how retail stores run, how clinicians deliver care, how supply chains move, and how field workers’ complete work. These devices are mission critical, and any disruption is immediately felt on the ground. To strengthen security, reduce costs, and simplify operations, many IT architects and administrators are now evaluating or planning to move to Intune. This new series, “Migrating Frontline Mobile Devices - is designed to help. We’ve worked side by side with frontline customers, observing what works, where projects stall, and how small decisions early on can dramatically improve outcomes later. The articles in this series distil those lessons into practical guidance for teams who are considering, planning, or actively migrating devices. Frontline devices serve different needs and follow different operational rhythms than knowledge worker devices. Frontline migrations aren’t the same as standard knowledge-worker migrations and treating them as such often leads to operational problems or rollout delays. This article explains what the difference means in practice and how it shapes planning for successful frontline migrations. Why failures hurt more on the frontline A failed knowledge worker enrollment is an inconvenience. A failed frontline device enrollment or non-functioning device can affect revenue, disrupt essential services, and in some industries compromise safety. When a device is unavailable, critical work halts immediately: Pickers can’t complete scanning tasks Cashiers can’t take payments Health practitioners can’t document or prescribe care Drivers can’t dispatch Production lines stop Workers can’t perform required safety or compliance actions What we’ve learned: Frontline migrations must be coordinated with business and operational leaders; store managers, shift supervisors, clinical leads, and supply chain teams because they decide what is required and when devices can be taken offline. Why mobile frontline device migrations are different The operational impact of failure is higher on the frontline because frontline devices operate in very different environments to knowledge worker devices. Knowledge worker devices usually run in stable, well understood environments with known device catalogues, predictable lifecycles, assigned users, and steady connectivity. Frontline devices operate in conditions that introduce unique design and migration challenges. The environments they run in directly affect how and when a device can be enrolled or updated. Devices may run in low bandwidth or intermittent connectivity environments, making enrollment flows and policy delivery harder to complete reliably. Some operate in high-risk industrial or clinical settings where devices can only be taken offline during narrow operational windows. Others return to charging racks between shifts, meaning migrations must align with shift changes rather than user availability. Many run in kiosk or locked task modes tied to a single workflow, so even small configuration changes can disrupt critical tasks if not planned carefully. These environmental and operational realities show up across the entire device lifecycle from provisioning to updates to support. To make the differences clearer, here’s a concise comparison of frontline and knowledge worker devices: Category Frontline devices Knowledge worker devices Devices Smartphones, handhelds, rugged devices, scanners, wearables, tablets Laptops, desktops, smartphones OS and patch posture Often older versions; inconsistent patch levels due to operational constraints Typically, current OS or N-1; regular security patching cycles Ownership Shared, shift-based or individually assigned depending on role Individually assigned Network conditions Variable, often constrained Generally stable Provisioning Zero-touch essential User-led viable Updates Highly controlled Standard update cycles Apps Task-specific, time-sensitive updates Broad, less time critical updates Workflow impact Operationally critical Productivity-focused Typical usage scenarios Point-of-sale, healthcare, barcode scanning, delivery routing, inventory checks Email, productivity tools, collaboration, creative workflows Failure impact Immediate operational issues Localized user disruption Standard knowledge worker migrations are designed for predictable conditions such as consistent users, steady connectivity, current OS levels, and a governed device lifecycle. Frontline fleets rarely match this baseline, so their migrations require planning and design that reflects actual device state and use. A migration is a design moment, not just a technical step A migration offers an opportunity to reassess business needs, tighten governance, simplify and modernize app delivery, and confirm assumptions about how devices are used. It’s also a chance to raise your frontline security, aligning devices with Zero Trust principles. In successful frontline migrations: Teams build in time for design, evaluation, and piloting. Early alignment across stakeholders supports smoother execution and reduces the risk of disruptive rework later. Understand your estate before designing the migration Frontline migration projects always reveal something unexpected. Common patterns include: Mixed iOS/Android versions and multiple original equipment manufacturers (OEM) such as Samsung, Zebra, Honeywell, Apple and more. Devices running outdated OS versions or custom OEM images. Devices that haven’t checked in for months, often sitting unused in cabinets. App delivery paths reliant on sideloading or site specific packages with no update mechanism. Multiple active mobile device management (MDM) systems inherited through acquisitions or decentralized teams. Most migration issues that appear later in the project can be traced back to decisions made before anyone understood what existed in the field, how devices were being used, or what the business needed them to do in the future. What we’ve learned: Migration success improves dramatically when teams validate device inventory, usage patterns, and business requirements before choosing an enrollment method and designing configuration profiles. Real-world data turns assumptions into facts and avoids costly rework. Plan for identity – even if devices don’t use it today Many frontline devices run with shared logins or no user at all. Intune fully supports these scenarios, but identity gaps - shared credentials, app only authentication, and managed access patterns - often emerge over years of organic growth. These gaps can show up during migrations as both user experience issues and security risks. What we’ve learned: Even if you’re not ready to modernize frontline identity or introduce Microsoft 365 tools for workers, consider laying out the foundation. Mapping which users or roles should have identities, simplifying and securing access, and aligning devices to Microsoft Entra foundations will future proof your estate. What’s coming next in the series This series will explore the areas that consistently shape successful frontline mobile migrations the steps, patterns, and design decisions that matter most in real frontline environments. Over the coming weeks we’ll cover themes such as: Understanding your frontline estate - what exists today, how devices are used, and the realities that shape migration decisions Designing for frontline conditions - identity foundations, shared device patterns, kiosk considerations, and reliable enrolment flows Designing for frontline device scenarios - single user, shared, rugged, kiosk, and high-risk operational models Consolidating to a single Intune tenant - simplifying governance, policies, and operating models Getting the ecosystem right - apps, connectivity, certificates, and the infrastructure dependencies that influence reliability Executing the migration safely - pilots, phasing, cutover windows, and planning for 24/7 operations Life after migration - monitoring, support readiness, and ongoing operational ownership We’ll share practical guidance, common friction points, and patterns we’ve seen work across industries. Future articles will include perspectives from Microsoft Product Managers and community experts with hands-on experience managing large scale frontline device estates. Look out for the next article in the series - Understanding the reality of your estate. We’d love to include your perspective. If you have questions, scenarios, or experiences you want this series to address, share them in the comments below to help shape the upcoming articles, or reach out to us on X @IntuneSuppTeam. Our goal is simple: To help you migrate frontline mobile fleets to Intune without disrupting the business.Empowering Frontline Workers: Microsoft 365's Secret Superpowers | ESPC24
We were lucky to have Irina Parsina and Michael Bohlin from Microsoft as our co-hosts for the session at ESPC in Stockholm, "Empowering Frontline Workers: Transforming Experiences with Teams and Microsoft 365." They brought their A-game, guiding us through the wonders of how to empower frontline workers. We did miss Michael’s tap dancing and Irina’s jazz hands, but they still managed to make the session both entertaining and informative. Hats off to them! What did we learn? The Starting Point: 80% of the Global Workforce Did you know that 80% of the global workforce are frontline workers? These folks are the unsung heroes, and Microsoft 365 is here to help them go from zero to hero, all while keeping things as simple, smart, and secure as possible. Simple: One Place to Rule Them All Enter Mona Kane, our fictional store associate who has it all figured out. With Microsoft 365, she can navigate her day seamlessly, starting from her home experience with Viva Connections. Need to clock in? Easy-peasy with out-of-the-box cards and apps. Want to see your shifts or tasks? Just a click away. Need to send targeted announcements? Viva’s got your back. Smart: AI to the Rescue! Frontline workers are optimistic about AI, with 65% hoping it’ll make their lives easier. And why wouldn’t they be? From finding the right information to automating tasks, AI in SharePoint and Teams is like having a personal assistant who never takes a coffee break. Imagine a world where a fridge malfunction triggers a task in your planner, complete with instructions and a thank-you note. “Thank you for saving the environment!” Now that’s a nice touch. Secure: Keeping It Safe and Sane With shared devices and customized home screens, IT can control everything from app access to system settings. And talk about convenience: a global sign-in signs you into all your apps, and a single sign-out logs you out of everything. Plus, Windows 365 Frontline shared mode offers a virtual desktop experience that’s as smooth as butter. Work-Life Balance: Clock In, Clock Out Teams now knows when you’re on the clock, sending notifications only during work hours and muting them when you’re off. It can even block Teams access outside of working hours for those bringing their own devices. Finally, dynamic membership management lets you handle frontline teams with the flexibility of a yoga instructor. So, there you have it! Microsoft 365 is not just a tool; it's a secret weapon, transforming our everyday frontline workers into super-efficient, tech-savvy marvels. Until next time, can we please see some tap dancing and jazz hands? To FLW and beyond, https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-kallin/Is this even possible to include a hidden personal email address for F1 users on profile card
Checking in to see if this is possible - Goal: To pull personal email addresses from F1 users that are stored in PeopleSoft and add them into the MS profile card in the email spot, then hide them from public view We want to have the ability to send manually curated news and automatic "news you may have missed" from the newsfeed via our SharePoint intranet to their personal email addresses Current state: Staff's personal email addresses are stored in PeopleSoft, and they have the ability to edit them We have processes that run each week comparing AD Attribute Information against PS Attribute Information and updates accordingly All staff have access to PeopleSoft and use their Microsoft login Staff are authenticated through Azure This group of staff have F1 licenses and tend to be seasonal workers; it's cost-prohibitive to upgrade their licenses Ideal state: The solution uses existing O365 or other corporate software, such as a Microsoft Delve The solution pulls staff's personal email address information from PeopleSoft, where it's currently stored and allows staff to opt in and out from there Alternatively, we use an MS application like Delve for staff to add their email address and opt in or out of corporate communications The solution provides the ability for the staff's personal email address NOT to be displayed in the MS profile card found when hovering over a staff person's name
Edit fillable PDF in Microsoft 365 (iOS) stopped working
For the past few days, we have been unable to edit PDF files in the MS365 iOS app. We work with a SharePoint list that contains thousands of PDF files, which were previously opened and edited directly within the MS365 app without any issues. Since the update we are only able to anotate on the PDF files but we cannot select the fillable fields en signature fields anymore. This feature is crucial to our workflow, and the inability to edit PDFs in the app has caused significant disruptions
