2012 r2 series: productive users and protected information

this morning’s read: part 2 of 9, titled making device users productive and protecting corporate information. here’s my summary of another incredibly long and detailed post. don’t forget to go back and get the full read. away we go.

• people-centric IT (pcit). addresses four key areas.
• users. expect to have access to all of their corporate resources from anywhere.
• devices. diversity is not just about controlling which models of a particular brand to use. diversity of device type continues to grow as well. diversity = complexity.
• apps. complexity in cross-platform management and deployment of apps.
• data. provide data access without while staying compliant and secure.
• bring your own device (byod). byod is not a trend so much as a turning point. there’s no going back. diversity of devices will continue to climb which positions companies to have to fight the trend or embrace the trend. that’s what pcit is about.
• user productivity. embracing byod effectively means having a healthy balance of access to corporate resources coupled with the right amount of security. with pcit, access policies can be enabled against the following criteria:
• user’s identity
• user’s device
• user’s current network
• common engineering criteria. engineers with server, configmgr, and intune shared common engineering milestones. focused on three key areas:
• empowering users. users can have access to a variety of apps and data across a spectrum of devices – desktops, laptops, phones, tablets. windows, ios, and android are all supported (though it sounds like android might not get all the features initially.)
• simple registration and enrollment.
• workplace join. offers users a simple way to opt-in to IT services. creates user@device record in AD. governs access to resources and enables sso only. does not allow any IT control.
• intune. users can enroll for management. wifi/vpn profiles, settings, side loading, etc.
• consistent access to company resources. users can access apps, manage their own device, and access data via work folders.
• automatically connect to internal resources. only works with enroll for management. vpn profiles launch on demand.
• access resources from anywhere. data will be accessible via work folders and web application proxy.
• unifying environment. single pane of glass management for apps and devices across scenarios from on-premise to cloud-based, including malware protection.
• single console. the configmgr console is the basis of all management. cloud based management added through an intune connector.
• user-centric app management. uses the user-centric model in configmgr to determine which app to deploy based on device and capability.
• multiple delivery mechanisms. includes msi, app-v, remote apps, web links, windows store, app store, and google play.
• cross-platform settings management. manage certifies, vpn, and wireless network profiles, apply compliance policies (to the extent of the platform, of course), receive inventory data, push installs, remote wipe and unregistration.
• single identity. common identity from on-premise to cloud-based. ad fs tightly integrated to web application proxy is a key component.
• protecting data. information access controlled by user, device, and location. shutdown access from devices no longer used.
• control data. ability to selectively wipe data while leaving personal data intact. (see the original post for a table detailing device to capability.)
• policy-based access control. made possible by ad fs, dynamic access control, web application proxy and work folders. obviously the implementation will be very complex.
• web application proxy. provides ability to publish access to internal resources with optional multi-factor authentication.
• work folders. file sync that allows syncing from corporate file server to user device over https. data is stored encrypted, locally on the device. files can be removed when device is un-enrolled from management.