How to Deploy Microsoft Office 365 Apps via Microsoft Intune

Microsoft Intune simplifies the management of applications across your organization's devices. This guide will walk you through the process of deploying Microsoft 365 Apps (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.) to your Windows devices using Microsoft Intune.

Prerequisites:

• Microsoft Intune subscription.

• Appropriate Microsoft 365 licenses that include Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise (e.g., Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Premium).

• Azure AD groups for targeting the deployment (users or devices).

• Administrator rights in Microsoft Intune (e.g., Intune Administrator or Application Manager role).

• Windows 10/11 devices enrolled in Intune.

Steps to Deploy Microsoft 365 Apps:

1. Access Microsoft Intune Admin Center:

   • Open your web browser and navigate to the Microsoft Intune admin center.

   • Sign in with your administrator credentials.

2. Navigate to Apps:

   • In the left-hand navigation pane, click on Apps.

   • Under the "By platform" section, select Windows.

3. Add a New Application:

   • Click on the + Add button.

   • In the "Select app type" pane that appears on the right, under "Microsoft 365 Apps", select Windows 10 and later.

   • Click Select at the bottom of the pane.
     

4. Configure App Suite Information (Step 1: App suite information):

   • Suite Name: This is often pre-filled (e.g., "Microsoft 365 Apps for Windows 10 and later"). You can customize it if needed.

   • Suite Description: Also pre-filled. Adjust as necessary.

   • Publisher: Should be "Microsoft".

   • Click Next.

5. Configure App Suite Settings (Step 2: Configure app suite):

   • Configuration settings format: Choose "Configuration designer".

   • Select Office apps: Choose the specific Microsoft 365 Apps you want to deploy (e.g., Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word). It's generally recommended to only deploy the apps users need.

   • Architecture: Select "64-bit" (recommended for most modern devices) or "32-bit".

   • Update channel: Choose an appropriate update channel. "Current Channel" gets the newest features fastest, while "Monthly Enterprise Channel" or "Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel" offer more predictability for organizations.

   • Remove other versions: Select "Yes" to remove any older MSI versions of Office from devices.

   • Version to install: You can typically leave this as "Latest" unless you need a specific older version.

   • Shared computer activation: Select "Yes" if you are deploying to shared computers (e.g., lab or kiosk environments). This requires specific licensing.

   • Automatically accept the app end user license agreement: Select "Yes".

   • Languages: Additional languages will be automatically installed based on the Windows language settings on the end-user devices. You can add more languages if needed.

   • Click Next.

6. Assignments (Step 3: Assignments):

   • Here you will assign the Microsoft 365 Apps suite to your target Azure AD groups.

   • Under "Required", "Available for enrolled devices", or "Uninstall", click + Add group (or + Add all users / + Add all devices, though targeted groups are generally recommended for initial rollouts).

   • Search for and select your desired Azure AD user group(s) or device group(s).

   • You can configure options like "End user notifications", "Availability", and "Installation deadline" for required deployments.

   • Click Next.

7. Review + Create (Step 4: Review + create):

   • Carefully review all the settings you've configured.

   • If everything looks correct, click Create.

Monitoring the Deployment:

• After creating the app deployment, you can monitor its installation status.

• In the Intune admin center, go to Apps > Windows.

• Click on the Microsoft 365 Apps suite you just created.

• You can check the "Device install status" and "User install status" overview tiles and reports.

Conclusion: Deploying Microsoft 365 Apps via Intune streamlines application management and ensures your users have the tools they need. By following these steps, you can efficiently roll out and manage Office applications across your Windows devices. Remember to test deployments on a pilot group before a broad rollout.

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