Microsoft 365 & Cloud

Managed devices: what they are, how they work, and why your team won't want to go back

2 min read Guillaume Duveau

A managed device is a company computer or phone whose configuration, security, and access are controlled from the cloud rather than from the machine itself. Your team members find their own environment on any company computer. You stay in control if a device is lost, stolen, or if someone leaves.

Most of our clients discover device management mid-engagement, and almost all of them wish they’d had it sooner. What it changes, in practice, is straightforward: a team member’s identity controls the computer, not the other way around.

What that means in practice

Picture one of your sales team arriving at a colleague’s desk, opening their computer, signing in with their Microsoft account, and finding exactly their own desktop, their applications, their printers, their browser tabs. As if it were their own machine.

That’s what a managed device fleet makes possible. Your working environment doesn’t live on a particular hard drive. It lives in the cloud, tied to your account, and it follows each team member wherever they sign in on a company device.

How computers configure themselves

When a new computer arrives in an unmanaged company, someone has to set it up: create a local account, install software, configure email, connect the printer. That’s time lost, often on hardware bought in a hurry because someone just joined.

With device management, the computer is enrolled before it even arrives. The new team member plugs it in, signs in with their Microsoft account, and it configures itself: applications deployed, network access open, security settings applied. They can work within the hour.

This is called zero-touch provisioning. The Microsoft service that makes it possible is called Autopilot. It’s built into Microsoft 365 Business Premium and is what enables the “plug in and work” experience.

What you control

Device management also gives you a layer of control you didn’t have before.

If a device is lost or stolen, you can lock or wipe it remotely within minutes. Your data doesn’t travel with the hardware.

If someone leaves the company, their access is cut across every device and every application at once. There’s no need to physically recover the computer to uninstall anything.

Security updates roll out across the whole fleet without user action. No forgotten machine running a vulnerable version for six months.

Company applications are available from a portal: team members install what they need, and you keep the list of what’s permitted.

Who benefits most

Device management makes the biggest difference for teams that work from several locations (main office, home, travel) or that have regular staff turnover. It’s also what lets you keep remote work devices secure without sending a technician out each time. And it’s particularly useful across multiple sites, where you don’t want a technician travelling for every new arrival.

If your team works from a single location, on fixed desks that nobody ever shares, the benefit is real but less immediate. The question worth asking: how much time did you spend last year setting up computers, reinstalling systems, or recovering access after someone left?


Device management is part of InfraPro’s 360 offer. If you’re on Cloud and you’re curious what switching would change for your team, a short conversation is usually enough to make it clear.

Frequently asked

Can a new team member start working on day one?
Yes. The computer arrives pre-enrolled: they plug it in, sign in with their Microsoft account, and it configures itself: applications, settings, access. No technician needed on-site.
What happens if a laptop is lost or stolen?
We lock or wipe it remotely, within minutes. Your data doesn't leave with the device.
Does a team member lose their settings when they switch to a different computer?
No. Their profile lives in the cloud, not on the machine. They sign in on another company computer and find their desktop, applications, and preferences exactly as they left them.
Do you need a server or server room to manage devices?
No. Management runs entirely through Microsoft 365, with no local infrastructure required. That's one of the advantages of a cloud-first approach: less hardware, more control.
Is device management included in InfraPro's Cloud offer?
No, it's part of the 360 offer. Cloud covers Microsoft 365 (accounts, email, files, access); 360 adds full management of the company's computers and phones.
Can phones be managed as well as computers?
Yes. Android and iPhone devices can be enrolled the same way: your work data is isolated from the rest of the device, and you can wipe it remotely without touching personal data.

In their words

InfraPro is by far the best managed IT company I've worked with.
Evan Smith — Co-founder, CicadaMedicinal cannabis (EU GMP)

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