Intune September 2025 Update: vPro Recovery, Apple OS 26, PowerShell EAM, Copilot AI

Microsoft’s September 2025 Intune wave is one of the more consequential updates for endpoint teams this year: the service stretches its management surface to hardware-level recovery with an Intel vPro Fleet Services integration, delivers day‑zero compatibility for Apple’s OS 26 family and an improved Purebred-derived credentials experience, adds PowerShell-based “installer script” capability for more complex Win32/EAM deployments, and folds AI-driven Cloud PC analysis into Copilot in Intune to help tune performance and license efficiency. These changes tighten the gap between device firmware, cloud management, and AI-driven lifecycle operations — and they require IT teams to revisit operational runbooks, security controls, and pilot plans before broad adoption.

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Background / Overview​

Microsoft Intune has been steadily expanding from a device configuration and app-distribution platform into a broader endpoint-control plane: one that integrates identity (Microsoft Entra), conditional access, device hardware telemetry, and now vendor-hosted remote management services. The September 2025 updates emphasize three themes:

• Resilient device recovery — hardware-assisted troubleshooting that works when the OS is down.
• Immediate Apple OS compatibility — minimizing deployment friction when new iOS/iPadOS/macOS releases land.
• Operational flexibility and AI assistance — richer scripting for app installs and AI insights for Cloud PCs to reduce cost and support overhead.

These elements together signal Microsoft’s intent to reduce “blind spots” in device lifecycle management (from firmware up through cloud), while empowering admins with more automation and analysis surfaces. The official Intune announcements and product docs confirm the feature set and guidance for administrators.

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Intel vPro Fleet Services in Intune: Hardware-level recovery inside the admin center​

What changed​

Intune now integrates Intel vPro Fleet Services into the Intune admin experience, enabling out‑of‑band (OOB) access to Intel vPro devices using Intel Active Management Technology (AMT) — even if the device is powered off or the primary OS will not boot. Authentication is handled through Microsoft Entra ID single sign‑on, and common recovery tasks (BIOS and OS-level recovery) can be orchestrated from within Intune workflows. Microsoft and Intel both describe the integration as bringing hardware-level management directly into Intune’s interface.

Why it matters​

• Resilience: When a device cannot reach the OS due to corruption, boot failures, or ransomware, Out‑of‑Band management offers a recovery path that avoids onsite service calls.
• Faster incident remediation: Teams can automate or manually perform BIOS rollback, OS reimage, or diagnostics without shipping the device back to an OEM or sending technicians on site.
• Consolidated admin UX: Single sign‑on via Microsoft Entra reduces separate credential stores and centralizes audit trails in existing identity logs.

Practical capabilities and limitations​

• Supported devices are Intel vPro‑enabled hardware (Intel’s public materials specify broad compatibility with vPro platforms back to recent generations; Microsoft notes explicit support for devices from 2018 or later). Use Intel’s device compatibility guidance to confirm a model’s AMT/vPro feature set before relying on it in production.  citeturn1search1turn1search6
• The integration depends on Intel vPro Fleet Services (a cloud-hosted SaaS by Intel) — organizations should verify service availability for their cloud regions and any regulatory constraints.
• Hardware-level access amplifies administrative power: treat it as privileged infrastructure. Enforce MFA, Just‑In‑Time (JIT) access, and strict approval flows for any operator that can call AMT/firmware actions via Intune.

Recommended admin actions (short checklist)​

• Inventory: identify Intel vPro-capable devices and flag those that are AMT‑enabled.
• Access control: map who can request hardware-level sessions; integrate with Privileged Access Management (PAM) and require MFA and conditional access for session elevation.
• Pilot: run a controlled pilot on a non-critical fleet and document recovery workflows and audit trails.
• Governance: add vendor‑managed endpoints to change‑control and incident‑response playbooks (firmware flash rollback, remote power cycles, and audit review).

Risk flag: hardware-level management is powerful — misconfiguration or credential compromise has outsized impact. Treat AMT/OOB capabilities like a datacenter remote console: protect it accordingly. citeturn0search0turn1search1

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Day‑zero support for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS 26 — Purebred 3.0 derived credentials and Company Portal behavior​

What Microsoft delivered​

Intune shipped day‑zero compatibility for Apple’s iOS/iPadOS 26 and macOS 26 (Tahoe), including new settings for audio accessory management, Safari controls, default apps, security restrictions, and web content filtering available through the Settings Catalog. Importantly, Intune’s Company Portal now supports the Purebred 3.0 derived credentials experience so organizations adopting the Purebred update can use derived credentials through the Company Portal on iOS 26 devices — with a recommended Company Portal minimum version callout (example: v5.2509.0) for the best experience. Microsoft also reiterated its “supported vs allowed” model for user‑less Apple devices: Intune fully supports the three most recent OS versions for shared devices while allowing enrollment from fewer recent versions with reduced capabilities. citeturn0search1turn0search4

Why this matters​

• Operational continuity: Day‑zero support significantly lowers the chance that an OS upgrade will break MDM workflows, app distribution, or user login flows.
• Credentials modernization: Derived credentials and the Purebred workflow are central to some modern federal and enterprise identity scenarios; earlier access friction is reduced when the Company Portal supports the updated flow immediately.
• Shared device clarity: The explicit supported vs allowed guidance for user‑less/shared devices gives IT teams a clear migration and enrollment policy to communicate to frontline and shared‑device owners.

Deployment considerations​

• Confirm Company Portal versions in your tenant; device-level cache and app-store propagation can delay the availability of the required Company Portal build in some regions. Microsoft docs list the required/minimum Company Portal version tied to Purebred compatibility. citeturn0search1
• Test Purebred-derived credential issuance flows on a range of device makes and configurations (BYOD vs corporate-owned with ADE).
• Update your device support matrices: if your fleet contains devices that cannot upgrade to iOS/iPadOS 17+ (Intune’s stated minimum for new features), plan for device refresh or alternate workflows.

Risk flag: While Microsoft commits to day‑zero settings coverage, some device manufacturers or specific hardware accessories (especially niche audio accessories or accessory‑based SSO) may have vendor‑specific behaviors that require testing. Use pilot rings. citeturn0search4

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PowerShell installer script support for Enterprise Application Management (EAM)​

What changed​

Intune’s Enterprise Application Management catalog now accepts PowerShell-based installer scripts for Win32/EAM catalog app deployments. Admins can upload a PowerShell script to run as the installer/uninstaller, allowing pre‑install checks, environment configuration, feature toggles, and post‑install cleanup. Scripts report status via standard exit codes and integrate with Intune’s deployment reporting. Microsoft documents this as a general availability release in the September cycle and the feature is visible in roadmap and product posts. citeturn2search2turn2search3

Practical benefits​

• Complex installations: Bundles requiring environment validation (drivers present, services stopped, registry keys preset) can now be orchestrated reliably in a single, repeatable deployment artifact.
• Better error reporting: Scripts controlling exit codes make automated remediation and reporting more deterministic across heterogeneous endpoints.
• Single artifact lifecycle: Replace brittle command-line strings with richer scripting logic that can branch, log, and remediate as part of the install process.

Implementation notes and limits​

• PowerShell installer scripts execute with the same privilege context the app installer would use (device or user context as configured). Review the Intune Management Extension behavior and prerequisites (script size and execution context limits apply for platform scripts). For general-purpose Intune PowerShell scripts Microsoft documents a 200 KB script payload limit — confirm whether the EAM script flow shares the same limit or supports larger packaged assets in your tenant. If your script approaches these limits, split logic or deploy helper artifacts via a secure blob store. citeturn2search6turn2search4
• Use standard exit codes and consistent logging to enable automated grouping of failures and to feed monitoring systems.

Recommended rollout pattern​

• Package a simple proof‑of‑concept installer script that validates prerequisites and sets up a minimal app.
• Deploy to a small pilot cohort with telemetry enabled and verify reporting in Intune’s deployment view.
• Iterate: add fail‑safe checks (disk space, Windows Installer locks) and deterministic retries.
• Broaden rollout and convert legacy command-line deployments to scripts when stable.

Risk flag: Installer scripts increase power and complexity. Poorly written scripts that run with elevated privileges can disrupt devices. Enforce code review, sign scripts where possible, and limit deployment scopes until fully validated. citeturn2search2turn2search3

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Copilot in Intune: AI-driven Cloud PC optimization and cost control​

What Copilot in Intune now analyzes​

Copilot in Intune can reason over Windows 365 Cloud PC telemetry and provide AI-driven summaries and recommendations. Typical outcomes include:

• Identifying underutilized or overprovisioned Cloud PCs to optimize license consumption.
• Diagnosing performance issues (CPU, memory, I/O contention) and flagging overloaded instances.
• Detecting deployment gaps, misconfigurations, or connectivity patterns that affect user experience. citeturn0search5turn2search2

Why this is significant​

Cloud PC fleets often require active tuning to balance user experience against licensing cost. Copilot’s ability to surface natural-language insights and remediation steps can reduce mean time to resolution for Cloud PC problems and point to practical license consolidation opportunities.

How to use it effectively​

• Use Copilot-driven reports to prioritize resizing opportunities: start with the top 10% of heaviest spenders or the accounts with repeated performance incidents.
• Combine Copilot recommendations with usage analytics (login times, session duration, application telemetry) when reassessing CPU/RAM sizing and image choices.
• Feed remediation plans into an automated runbook (for example, resizing a Cloud PC or redistributing apps across images) but gate runbook actions with human approval for high-impact changes.

Risk flag: AI recommendations are a force multiplier but should not be treated as a single source of truth. Validate suggested actions in a pilot ring — particularly when they change provisioning or license allocation — and retain human oversight for cost-affecting operations. citeturn0search5turn2search2

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Security and compliance implications​

Increased privileged surfaces​

Every new management touchpoint — Intel AMT through a cloud service, PowerShell installer scripts with elevated context, or AI agents that can propose configuration changes — increases the surface area that security teams must govern.

• Apply least privilege to any account or service that can execute AMT operations or run installer scripts.
• Log and centralize audit trails (Entra sign‑ins, Intune admin actions, AMT session logs) and link them to SIEM detection rules.
• Require MFA/JIT and timebound approvals for hardware-level access and for any automated remediation that mutates device state. citeturn0search0turn2search6

Data residency and third‑party SaaS​

Intel vPro Fleet Services is a vendor-hosted SaaS and regions/certifications may vary. Organizations with strict data residency or export-control requirements must validate the service endpoints, contractual safeguards, and where session metadata is stored.

Change-control and testing​

• Document test cases for firmware-level recovery.
• Add AMT/OOBP actions to incident response drills; practice safe rollback and validate firmware compatibility with OEMs.
• Treat installer scripts as code: maintain them in source control, run peer reviews, and version artifacts.

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Migration and pilot recommendations — a practical playbook​

• Discovery and inventory
• Use Intune reporting and hardware inventory to produce a list of vPro-capable devices, macOS/iOS versions, and Cloud PC allocations. citeturn0search1turn1search1
• Security baseline
• Apply conditional access, require MFA for admin flows, and add PAM/JIT protection for hardware-level operations. citeturn0search0
• Pilot runs
• Intel vPro: pick 10–25 devices to practice OOB recovery (power cycle, BIOS rollbacks, OS reimage).
• Apple day‑zero: run a small set of iPhones/iPads/macOS devices through an upgrade and validate Company Portal and Purebred credential issuance.
• Installer scripts: convert one known flaky deployment to a PowerShell installer script and validate telemetry.
• Copilot: use AI insights on a subset of Cloud PCs and validate recommended resizing actions before automating.
• Operationalize
• Add playbooks to runbooks, update vendor escalation matrices, and publish standard operating procedures (SOPs) for hardware-level sessions and script reviews.

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Notable strengths and potential risks — critical analysis​

Strengths​

• Reduced downtime: Hardware-level recovery reduces device RTO (recovery time objective) for many break/fix cases.
• Faster adoption of Apple OS updates: Day‑zero support softens the friction that often accompanies major iOS/macOS upgrades.
• Greater deployment fidelity: Installer scripts enable more precise, repeatable application deployments across heterogeneous Windows estates.
• Actionable AI: Copilot in Intune brings relevant insights to Cloud PC management that can reduce wasted license spend and reveal subtle performance bottlenecks. citeturn0search0turn0search5

Risks and cautionary points​

• Expanded attack surface: AMT/OOB features and script-based installs are privileged operations. Attackers compromising an admin account with AMT privileges could obtain firmware-level persistence.
• Vendor SaaS dependencies: Reliance on Intel’s Fleet Services introduces third‑party dependencies (availability, region, legal). Validate contracts and service-level constraints.
• Operational mistakes with scripting: Poorly tested installer scripts can brick configurations or cause user disruptions at scale.
• AI over‑reliance: Copilot recommendations are probabilistic. Unsupervised remediation of provisioning or resizing decisions could cause service interruptions or unexpected license churn. citeturn1search1turn2search2

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Final verdict and practical next steps for IT teams​

September’s Intune updates are pragmatic and operationally valuable: they close measurable gaps in device recovery, Apple OS compatibility, app deployment fidelity, and Cloud PC lifecycle optimization. The release is not a radical platform redesign — it’s a careful extension of Intune’s reach into hardware, mobile, and AI‑assisted operations. The net benefit will depend on disciplined rollout practices:

• Treat hardware-level integrations as privileged infrastructure and govern them accordingly.
• Pilot PowerShell installer scripts and adopt code‑review and CI practices before production rollout.
• Use Copilot in Intune to prioritize small, high-value optimization steps and validate AI suggestions before automating.
• Update enrollment and support documentation to reflect the new Apple OS support commitments and Company Portal version requirements. citeturn0search0turn2search2turn0search1

These updates reward careful engineering and governance: organizations that pilot, harden access controls, and fold the new features into established change management will gain faster remediation, lower app‑deployment drift, and better Cloud PC economics. Conversely, rushed or poorly controlled deployments risk amplifying privileged misconfigurations and automation mistakes.

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Closing summary​

The September 2025 Intune wave is a real operational step forward: hardware‑assisted recovery through Intel vPro Fleet Services, true day‑zero Apple OS compatibility and Purebred credential support, PowerShell installer scripts for EAM catalog apps, and AI-guided Cloud PC tuning via Copilot in Intune. Each capability solves concrete admin pain points — but each also raises governance and security responsibilities that must be actively managed. Implement these features via staged pilots, strict privilege controls, and a “script-as-code” discipline to capture their benefits without exposing your environment to avoidable risk. fileciteturn0file0 citeturn0search0turn2search2turn1search1

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Source: Petri IT Knowledgebase What’s New in Microsoft Intune - September 2025