JBS Launches Smart Start for Microsoft Intune, Enabling Urgently Needed Mobile Device Management for Remote Work in as Little as Ten Days

Japan Business Systems, Inc. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Yukihiro Makita, President; hereinafter “JBS”) launched Smart Start for Microsoft Intune, a service that smoothly implements Microsoft Japan’s Microsoft Intune in a short time frame, on April 22, 2020. JBS has worked on numerous Microsoft cloud solutions and as its next move it will actively promote the implementation of Microsoft Intune as a mechanism for using Microsoft 365 securely in a remote work environment.

Due to the recent spread of remote work, the development of PC and network environments is advancing quickly at various companies. However, many customers are telling us that they can’t handle the management of mobile devices, which is essential for remote work. The launch of this service is in response to such requests.

JBS had implemented device management environments using Microsoft Intune at over fifty customer companies to date. From this implementation track record, we know that problems customers have when implementing a device management environment in Japanese companies can roughly be categorized into three patterns. By defining and implementing these three patterns as control patterns, we can reduce the time and burden of requirements definition and considerations that usually occur at the time of implementation. By doing so, we have made it possible to construct a Microsoft Intune environment as quickly as in just ten business days. Simply by registering device information in control patterns, customers can start using Microsoft Intune and it also reduces operational workload.

*Each control pattern includes protection for data for Office 365, an integrated information sharing cloud service provided by Microsoft Japan that works only with Microsoft 365.

After receiving an interview sheet from a customer, the construction is completed in as little as ten business days at the quickest. For customers who are having difficulties at the environment preparation stage before the implementation of Microsoft Intune, we can provide consultation separately.

A JBS original operation manual summarizing what needs to be operated when starting to use the Microsoft Intune environment is provided to customers who enter into a contract for this service. We are also preparing an operation support service.

This time the target of the service is data protection for iOS and Office 365, but going forward, we plan to focus the service on EMS and gradually expand the service to Azure Active Directory, which is a function of Microsoft Japan’s cloud platform Microsoft Azure, the latest operating system Windows 10, Android, and more.

Microsoft Japan gave JBS the following endorsement for this announcement.

Microsoft Japan wholeheartedly welcomes the release of Smart Start for Microsoft Intune by JBS.
With the spread of cloud environments and mobile work, the management of people, devices, and data at companies has become a pressing issue. In particular, while company mobile phones centered on iOS can be used similarly to PCs, company-wide security efforts tend to be delayed, triggering cases of unexpected security incidents. We hope that the spread of Smart Start for Microsoft Intune will result in the construction of an environment for companies to use Microsoft 365 with peace of mind and accelerate their business.
Going forward, Microsoft Japan will continue to contribute to the business success of customers along with JBS and other partners.

Hiroshi Ando
Group Senior Manager
Partner Business Development Group
Microsoft Co., Ltd.

JBS will continue to use the knowledge and techniques honed by enterprise and its strong partnership with Microsoft Japan to support the realization of customers’ further business growth and digital transformation going forward.

Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based integrated endpoint management service that realizes both mobile device management (MDM) and mobile application management (MAM). It is a core component of endpoint device management included in Enterprise Mobility + Security (hereinafter “EMS”),*1 a solution offered by Microsoft that simplifies the management of the modern workplace, and is included as standard in Microsoft 365 subscriptions.*2 The implementation of Microsoft Intune can restrict data copying on mobile devices from Microsoft Office applications that support daily work such as Outlook, Word, and Excel, thereby ensuring security while also securing productivity of employees.

*1 Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS)

*2 Microsoft 365 plan comparison

In the Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Unified Endpoint Management Tools, a market survey released in 2019, Microsoft was positioned as one of the leaders in the area of unified endpoint management tools. From this, JBS believes that the degree of attention on EMS and Microsoft Intune will rise further.

Gartner: Magic Quadrant for Unified Endpoint Management Tools, Chris Silva et al., 06 August 2019 (Paid subscription needed)

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s Research & Advisory organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

The Smart Start series is a series of implementation services offered by JBS that “enables customers to make a starting dash on delivery.” Based on our track record, the service has a standardized design that takes into account product characteristics and security and allows customers to start using a high quality service in a short time frame. Going forward, JBS plans to offer a Smart Start series service focusing on security for Microsoft 365 and services to strengthen governance for Microsoft Teams and SharePoint Online.

• Smart Start for Microsoft Intune (this service)
• Smart Start for Microsoft Teams
  Smart Start for Microsoft Teams is a service to implement a Microsoft Teams environment, a function of Microsoft Japan’s integrated solution Microsoft 365, in a short time frame for customers who just want to start using it right away. Not only does it provide chat, file-sharing, and online conference functions, it gives customers a Microsoft Teams environment that enables orderly team management.
• Smart Start for Exchange Online
  Smart Start for Exchange realizes Exchange Online environment development and cloud ID development on Azure Active Directory with only some advance preparation work such as DNS registration and answering a simple assessment sheet.
• Smart Start for SharePoint Online
  Smart Start for SharePoint is a service that constructs a SharePoint environment in a short time frame narrowing down use to a portal. It is aimed at customers who are hesitant to implement SharePoint. JBS offers a SharePoint Online package that includes tenant building, portal site creation, and portal site operation steps.