• Thread Author
Inforcer’s recent elevation into Microsoft’s MSP-focused Intune initiative marks a tangible step toward making Microsoft 365 more manageable, secure, and AI-ready for Managed Service Providers — and it comes at a moment when MSPs desperately need standardized, scale-ready tooling to extract value from Microsoft’s sprawling cloud stack. (sourcesecurity.com)

Futuristic control room with neon blue holographic dashboards and an operator at a desk.Background / Overview​

Microsoft 365 is now the operational backbone for millions of small and medium businesses, but the platform’s native consoles and product silos were not originally designed for high-volume, multi-tenant management. MSPs that support dozens or hundreds of tenants face tool fragmentation, inconsistent policy enforcement, and heavy operational overhead when trying to deploy Microsoft security baselines, rollout features such as Copilot, or manage device posture via Intune. inforcer positions itself as a purpose-built layer that standardizes Microsoft 365 policy, enforces security baselines at scale, and surfaces Copilot readiness across multiple tenants — capabilities Microsoft is explicitly trying to make easier for partners through a new Intune-for-MSPs initiative. (inforcer.com)
Inforcer’s public announcement and product pages emphasize three strategic outcomes for MSPs:
  • Consolidated multi-tenant management across Microsoft 365 and Intune to reduce context switches and manual configuration drift.
  • Enforced security baselines and compliance monitoring so MSPs can ship higher-value security services rather than one-off policy work.
  • Copilot and AI readiness tooling that audits data governance, access controls, and sensitivity labeling — prerequisites for safe Copilot deployment. (sourcesecurity.com)
These claims are reinforced in the company’s own materials and repeated in multiple trade outlets that covered the partnership announcement. The story is not purely marketing: inforcer’s public positioning and roadmap explicitly show features aimed at standardization, automated remediation, and tenant-level assessments. (inforcer.com)

Why this matters to MSPs​

The operational problem: tenant sprawl and tool fragmentation​

MSPs commonly manage a mix of Microsoft admin UIs (Partner Center, Entra, Intune, Defender, Purview), third-party RMM/PSA systems, and bespoke scripts. That fragmentation creates:
  • Repetitive manual work for every tenant onboarding.
  • Inconsistent policy implementations across customers.
  • Difficulty proving continuous compliance to customers and auditors.
  • Barriers to productizing Microsoft security and Copilot as repeatable services.
inforcer and similar platform vendors attempt to convert that ad-hoc operational burden into repeatable, productized services by centralizing policy templates, automating remediation, and creating multi-tenant dashboards. This shift can reduce technician time per tenant and make Microsoft 365 an easier platform to monetize. (inforcer.com)

Business opportunity: productized managed services and margin expansion​

MSPs that convert manual Microsoft 365 tasks into packaged offerings gain three advantages:
  • Faster onboarding and lower per-tenant operational cost.
  • Clearer, repeatable tiers (baseline security, advanced security, Copilot enablement).
  • Upsell pathways tied to AI and security maturity instead of chaotic hourly work.
Inforcer’s messaging explicitly targets these outcomes, and independent reporting shows the company is building toward being the operational spine MSPs can use to build Microsoft-first services. That narrative is supported by recent funding and customer-growth coverage showing a rapidly expanding user base. (tech.eu)

What Microsoft’s initiative does — and what inforcer adds​

Microsoft’s Intune-for-MSPs initiative (what Microsoft has signalled)​

Microsoft has increasingly acknowledged the need for partner-ready flows, migrations, and co-managed capabilities for Intune and Microsoft 365. Whether through migration programs, Copilot readiness events, or partner enablement tracks, Microsoft is providing more direct partner resources and product-level hooks to help MSPs scale. The Intune-for-MSPs initiative aims to consolidate tooling and provide partner-focused engagement, training, and influence on the roadmap. (learn.microsoft.com)

Inforcer’s role and value-add​

According to the announcement, inforcer was selected as a Microsoft partner to participate in the initiative; the company claims it is one of two software development companies chosen in the initiative’s initial phase. As a partner, inforcer will offer:
  • Integrated multi-tenant management across the Microsoft technology stack.
  • Direct engagement and enablement resources from Microsoft product teams.
  • Tools to standardize Microsoft 365 policy configurations and enforce security baselines.
  • A Copilot readiness assessment MSPs can run across customers’ tenants. (sourcesecurity.com)
Note: the claim that inforcer is “one of only two” software development companies in the initial phase is presented in the press coverage. Independent confirmation via Microsoft’s own public roster of partners for this specific initiative is limited at the time of reporting; MSPs should treat this particular phrasing as company-reported and verify any exclusivity claims directly with Microsoft channel contacts if that distinction matters for commercial discussions. (sourcesecurity.com)

Key features and how they change operations​

Centralized policy and baseline enforcement​

  • Standardized policy templates let MSPs apply the same CIS/industry baseline across tenants.
  • Automated monitoring and remediation detect and correct configuration drift.
  • Policy versioning and rollback reduce risk when Microsoft or customer requirements change.
These capabilities reduce human error and free up skilled engineers to work on higher-value tasks such as advisory projects or tailored security programs. inforcer’s own documentation and product pages emphasize policy automation and drift detection as core features. (inforcer.com)

Copilot readiness assessments​

  • Audits of data organization, labeling, and access control.
  • Checks for data governance, auditing, and sensitivity labeling — essential for preventing sensitive data exposure when Copilot queries tenant content.
  • Pilot design guidance that helps MSPs shepherd customers through staged Copilot deployments.
Copilot’s power is directly related to how well tenant data is organized and governed. An MSP that can demonstrate a repeatable Copilot readiness assessment gains a compelling product to sell alongside licensing. Inforcer’s resources explicitly position such an assessment as part of their platform roadmap. (inforcer.com)

Multi-tenant visibility for security telemetry​

  • Consolidated dashboards for Defender, Sentinel, and other Microsoft security outputs.
  • Centralized alerting and remediation flows reduce the noise produced by multiple tenant consoles.
  • Integration opportunities with MSP toolchains (RMM/PSA) to link security findings to tickets and SLAs.
This makes it easier to deliver managed detection and response-style offerings or to integrate security posture improvements into standard managed service packages. The Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA) ecosystem also supports integration pathways for vendors; inforcer announced MISA membership, which bolsters its ability to integrate with Microsoft Security technologies. (microsoft.com)

Market signals: traction, funding, and credibility​

Multiple industry outlets reported that inforcer has expanded quickly since launch, with a customer base north of 800 MSPs cited in company materials and coverage of a recent Series B round that underscores investor confidence. The company’s rapid hiring and geographic expansion form part of that credibility story. These commercial signals matter to MSPs evaluating vendor longevity and roadmap stability. (inforcer.com)
Quotes in the announcement illustrate the channel-level endorsement:
  • Jamie Daum, CEO & Co-founder of inforcer, framed the product as a tool to help MSPs scale Microsoft practices and prepare for AI-first workloads. (sourcesecurity.com)
  • Jason Roszak, VP of Product for Intune at Microsoft, is quoted welcoming partners like inforcer who build capabilities on top of Intune that help MSPs scale. (sourcesecurity.com)
  • Rob Young of Infinity Group described inforcer as filling a critical gap in multi-tenant management and security enforcement. (sourcesecurity.com)

Strengths and practical benefits​

  • Operational efficiency: Centralized management and automated remediation reduce technician time, enabling MSPs to manage more tenants with the same staff.
  • Standardization at scale: Scripting best practices into repeatable policy templates makes service delivery predictable and auditable.
  • Faster time-to-market for new services: Copilot readiness assessments and packaged security tiers enable MSPs to productize and price offerings rather than sell labor by the hour.
  • Closer Microsoft alignment: Participation in Microsoft partner initiatives and MISA membership can accelerate integration opportunities and provide early access to partner enablement.
  • Commercial credibility: Fundraising and a growing MSP user base point to market traction and likely continued product investment. (inforcer.com)

Risks, caveats, and areas requiring due diligence​

  • Vendor lock-in and single-vendor dependency
  • Leaning heavily on any single tooling layer for policy, backup, and remediation introduces dependency risks. MSPs must evaluate exit strategies, exportability of policies, and how inforcer integrates with existing RMM/PSA systems.
  • Claims requiring independent verification
  • The announcement’s claim that inforcer was “one of only two” initial software development companies in the Intune initiative is presented in press coverage; Microsoft’s public partner lists for the program are not exhaustive in public channels. MSPs should verify partner program details directly with Microsoft partner managers if exclusivity matters to procurement or co-selling. (sourcesecurity.com)
  • Security and compliance posture expectations
  • Tools can automate enforcement, but automated remediation must be carefully tested. An over-eager remediation rule could break critical customer workflows if conditional access policies or app access rules are changed without adequate testing.
  • Complexity of Copilot governance
  • Copilot’s data surface requires careful governance. Even with readiness checks, the nuances of data residency, sensitivity labeling, and downstream audit trails mean an MSP’s legal and compliance teams must be involved before large-scale Copilot rollouts. inforcer’s Copilot-readiness guidance is a step in that direction but does not replace formal compliance reviews. (inforcer.com)
  • Competitive landscape and consolidation
  • Several vendors — including Hornetsecurity and a range of MSP-focused tooling providers — are introducing multi-tenant management tooling. MSPs should compare feature parity, pricing, and integration depth with Microsoft OEM tooling or competing ISVs. (prnewswire.com)

Practical guidance for MSPs evaluating inforcer (checklist)​

  • Technical evaluation
  • Run a pilot with a subset of tenants to validate policy templates, remediation workflows, and integration with your RMM/PSA.
  • Verify API-level integration: ensure the platform can export/import policies, and confirm SLAs for API rate limits and change events.
  • Security & compliance review
  • Confirm how backups of tenant configurations are stored and who can access them.
  • Validate support for sensitivity labels, retention policies, and audit trails aligned to your customers’ compliance needs.
  • Commercial considerations
  • Clarify pricing (per-tenant vs. per-customer vs. per-feature), renewal terms, and any co-sell or go-to-market commitments Microsoft might offer.
  • Ask for references from MSPs that match your size and verticals.
  • Operational readiness
  • Develop runbooks for automated remediation and fallbacks for safe rollbacks.
  • Train service delivery engineers on the platform and update managed service agreements to reflect new responsibilities and SLAs.
  • Roadmap and vendor stability
  • Confirm product roadmap items (e.g., the announced October Copilot readiness feature) and request timelines, beta access, and release notes.
  • Assess funding and customer traction to estimate the vendor’s ability to maintain and evolve the platform. (inforcer.com)

How MSPs can productize Microsoft 365 + Copilot offerings​

  • Baseline Security Pack (month 0)
  • Policy standardization, CIS-aligned Intune/Entra settings, conditional access setup.
  • Automated compliance reporting and a quarterly security review.
  • Managed Security Tier (month 1–ongoing)
  • Defender monitoring, central alert triage, and incident playbooks integrated with RMM/PSA.
  • Monthly posture reports and remediation SLA.
  • Copilot Enablement Add-on (pilot → rollout)
  • Copilot readiness assessment, pilot deployment for a pilot user group, governance and prompt design.
  • Ongoing Copilot safety monitoring and prompt governance workshops.
  • Advisory & AI Strategy
  • Quarterly reviews to identify AI-readiness opportunities (automations, Copilot flows, knowledge management).
  • Upsell to AI governance, data classification projects, and custom Copilot prompt tuning.
This staged productization approach reduces risk by starting with baseline security, then layering advanced services as customers demonstrate maturity and ROI. Inforcer’s platform capabilities are positioned to help MSPs automate and measure these exact steps. (inforcer.com)

The competitive landscape: where inforcer fits​

The market for multi-tenant Microsoft 365 management is active and rapidly evolving. Vendors such as Hornetsecurity, Nerdio, and other specialized ISVs are building overlapping capabilities — from centralized tenant dashboards to Intune migration tooling and security baselines. Each vendor’s strengths vary:
  • Some focus on email, backup, or threat protection.
  • Others emphasize device management and Intune automation.
  • New entrants are racing to provide Copilot readiness and data governance features.
MSPs should map vendor functionality against their service goals (e.g., security-first, Copilot enablement, scale efficiency) and select partners that minimize integration lift while maximizing the specific outcomes they need. inforcer’s close alignment with Microsoft’s partner initiatives and MISA membership positions it as a candidate for MSPs wanting a Microsoft-centric stack, but it is not the only option. (prnewswire.com)

What to watch next (six- to twelve-month horizon)​

  • Adoption metrics and references: MSPs evaluating inforcer should ask for case studies that demonstrate time-to-value and measurable reductions in per-tenant administration hours.
  • Product releases and roadmap adherence: the company announced an October release with a comprehensive Copilot readiness assessment; MSPs should validate delivery and test the feature in pilots. (sourcesecurity.com)
  • Microsoft program expansion: whether Microsoft broadens the Intune-for-MSPs program and publishes a formal, public roster of partners and capabilities will increase transparency and help MSPs align co-sell motions.
  • Ecosystem integrations: look for deeper integrations with Sentinel, Defender, and third-party RMM/PSA platforms that reduce operational friction and ticketing overhead.

Final analysis — practical verdict for MSPs​

Inforcer’s selection as a partner in Microsoft’s Intune-for-MSPs initiative and its concurrent MISA membership are credible signals that the vendor sits squarely in Microsoft’s partner ecosystem and is being positioned to solve real channel pain points. The platform’s emphasis on policy standardization, remediation, and Copilot readiness addresses the operational and commercial barriers that stop many MSPs from productizing Microsoft 365 and AI services. (sourcesecurity.com)
However, the pragmatic value will be proven in execution:
  • Can inforcer reliably automate remediation without disrupting customers?
  • Will the announced Copilot readiness tooling be both comprehensive and safe enough to assuage compliance-minded customers?
  • How well does the platform integrate into the MSP’s existing RMM/PSA toolchain and commercial model?
MSPs should run careful pilots, verify platform exportability and fail-safe rollbacks, and insist on clear SLAs for remediation actions. Where those checks pass, inforcer can materially reduce operational overhead, enable higher-margin Microsoft-first services, and accelerate safe Copilot adoption. The combination of Microsoft partnership signals, MISA membership, and funding momentum point to a vendor worth shortlisting — provided MSPs follow standard procurement discipline and validate claims in their own environments. (inforcer.com)

In sum, inforcer’s Microsoft-aligned approach offers a pragmatic bridge between the complexity of Microsoft 365 management and the commercial opportunity of AI-enabled managed services. The announced partnership and product roadmap are promising, but real-world pilots and integration proofs will determine whether it becomes a core plank in an MSP’s Microsoft stack or one more tool that creates yet another vendor dependency. (sourcesecurity.com)

Source: SourceSecurity.com https://www.sourcesecurity.com/news/inforcer-elevates-microsoft-365-management-msps-co-14053-ga-co-1758207701-ga.1758198724.html
 

Back
Top