Matt Coppinger

Digital Workspace Cost Planner

Model the true cost of your endpoint management strategy. Compare filling capability gaps with multiple point solutions versus adopting a single unified platform.

M365 + Point Solutions /user/mo
$136.47
addon costs only
M365 + Unified Platform /user/mo
$21.88
addon costs only
Annual Savings
$1.4M
3-Year Savings
$4.1M
66% reduction

Switching to a unified platform saves your organisation $4.1M over 3 years - a 66% reduction in total endpoint management costs.

Visual Comparison

Total Cost Breakdown (3-Year)

Cumulative Cost Over Time

M365 + Point Solutions Cost Distribution

The Evidence

Current M365 licensing includes basic Intune. Enterprise capabilities like Cloud PKI and EAM require the Intune Suite add-on ($10/user/mo) or upgrading to E5. Several areas still fall short of enterprise requirements.

GapPartialImproved

Intune Suite Capabilities

Microsoft provides

Available as Intune Suite add-on ($10/user/mo): Cloud PKI, Remote Help, EAM, Advanced Analytics

Where it falls short

All four capabilities require the Intune Suite add-on at $10/user/mo. Not included in base E3 or E5 licensing until July 2026. Intune's app deployment capabilities remain limited compared to SCCM/ConfigMgr. Many enterprises continue to rely on SCCM for complex application packaging, sequencing, and deployment — which is why SCCM elimination requires a capable unified platform, not just Intune.

ITSM Integration

Microsoft provides

Basic ServiceNow connector (CMDB device sync + incident visibility in Intune console)

Where it falls short

Connector provides limited integration focused on incident viewing and device inventory sharing. Service Graph Connector (paid add-on) enables richer integration. However, there is no automated ticket creation from compliance failures or device events. No self-service catalogue with ITSM approval workflows. No remediation actions triggered from tickets. Deeper integration requires custom Graph API development or third-party solutions.

Real-time Incident Response

Microsoft provides

Defender for Endpoint (E5 only)

Where it falls short

Default 8-hour check-in cycle. Push notifications can accelerate initial enrolment, but routine policy and config changes rely on the standard sync interval. Based on enterprise deployment testing, iOS enrolment can take 45+ minutes vs 5 minutes on unified platforms, and app deployment can take 10+ hours. Gartner notes reporting delays and limited fleet visibility.

Virtual App Management

Microsoft provides

Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365

Where it falls short

Separate products with separate licensing and consoles. No integrated virtual app delivery from the UEM console. Requires separate infrastructure and skills.

Endpoint Monitoring & DEX

Microsoft provides

No analytics included in base licence

Where it falls short

Complete gap in current licensing. Endpoint Analytics requires the Intune Suite add-on. No end-user sentiment tracking, no proactive issue detection, no autonomous remediation.

Mobile Threat Defense

Microsoft provides

Defender for Endpoint mobile

Where it falls short

Basic MTD capability. Lacks advanced phishing protection, network threat detection, and app risk analysis compared to dedicated mobile security solutions.

Vulnerability Management & Remediation

Microsoft provides

No native capability in E3

Where it falls short

Intune handles Windows Update policies but has no vulnerability scanning, CVE detection, risk prioritisation, or remediation workflows. Identifying vulnerable endpoints and remediating them are entirely separate, manual processes. Defender Vulnerability Management requires E5.

Automation & Orchestration

Microsoft provides

Remediation scripts and proactive remediations only

Where it falls short

Intune offers remediation scripts and proactive remediations for basic tasks, but lacks a visual workflow orchestration engine. No low-code orchestration, no event-driven workflows, and no cross-platform self-healing comparable to dedicated platforms. Complex remediation still requires manual IT intervention or custom scripting.

Cross-Platform VPN

Microsoft provides

Per-app VPN for Windows via Intune, basic VPN profiles

Where it falls short

Intune can deploy VPN profiles across Windows, iOS/iPadOS, macOS, and Android, with per-app VPN available for iOS/iPadOS and macOS. However, it relies entirely on third-party VPN providers. Microsoft Tunnel for MAM is the only first-party option. No integrated cross-platform VPN service from a single vendor.

Industry Assessment: Gartner 2026

The Gartner Critical Capabilities for Endpoint Management Tools report (January 2026) evaluated 16 vendors across four use cases. Key findings relevant to this comparison:

Omnissa Workspace ONE was named a Leader in the inaugural 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for UEM Tools, ranking highest across all four Critical Capabilities use cases.

Four Use Cases Evaluated (scored out of 5.0):

Autonomous Endpoint ManagementOmnissa Workspace ONE scored 4.95/5, the highest of 16 vendors evaluated
Unified Endpoint ManagementOmnissa Workspace ONE scored highest across all four use cases
Security-Centric ManagementOmnissa Workspace ONE scored highest of 16 vendors evaluated
Frontline Device ManagementOmnissa Workspace ONE scored highest of 16 vendors evaluated

Microsoft Intune — Noted Cautions:

  • Bundled with M365 — not customised for specific industries or regions
  • Users report delays in reporting, policy sync, and app deployment
  • Steep learning curve and difficult troubleshooting
  • Limited device status visibility and reporting capabilities
Source: Gartner Magic QuadrantSource: Critical Capabilities for Endpoint Management Tools

January 2026. Gartner does not endorse any vendor depicted in its publications.

Estimated Operational Savings (M365 + Unified Platform)

$140K
Admin Time
$540K
Integration Projects
$338K
Vendor Management
$195K
Help Desk
$59K
Endpoint Setup
$69K
Security Risk
$72K
Reclaimed Licences
Total operational savings: $1.4M

Gap costs are estimated based on market rates for comparable standalone solutions. Actual pricing varies by vendor, volume, and contract terms.

⏱️ Deployment Speed: Based on enterprise deployment testing, unified platforms enrolled and configured an iOS device in 5 minutes. The same process with Microsoft Intune took over 45 minutes. Application deployment to devices can take 10+ hours with fragmented approaches. These figures reflect field experience and may vary by environment.

Operational Complexity

M365 + Point Solutions13 vendors
M365 + Unified Platform2 vendors

Each dot represents a vendor to manage. More vendors = more contracts, more integrations, more risk.

The most cost-effective approach combines your existing productivity suite with a unified platform purpose-built for endpoint management, security, and automation - maximising your current investment while avoiding multi-vendor complexity.

Unified platform pricing is based on Omnissa Workspace ONE, rated the leading unified endpoint management platform across all four use cases in the Gartner 2026 Critical Capabilities report.

Fine-Tune Your Inputs

Adjust any input below. Results above update in real time.

📋 Current Licensing: Current M365 licensing includes basic Intune. Enterprise capabilities like Cloud PKI and EAM require the Intune Suite add-on ($10/user/mo) or upgrading to E5.

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Security Copilot (Consumption-Based)

SCU-hrs/mo
0 SCU-hrs/mo(E3: none)
Overage: 550 SCU-hrs × $6/SCU-hr (PAYG)
$3,300/mo

Adjust the device mix for your organisation. Percentages should total 100%.

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Select which enterprise capabilities you need. Each adds a per-user monthly cost to the multi-vendor approach.

Certificate-Based Authentication
Certificate auth / Cloud PKI
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Remote Help
Remote assistance tools
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Enterprise App Management
App lifecycle management
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Advanced Analytics
Device analytics & insights
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ITSM Integration
ITSM connector platforms
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Real-time Incident Response
Endpoint detection & response
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Virtual App Management
Virtual app delivery
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Endpoint Monitoring & DEX
Digital employee experience
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Mobile Threat Defense
Mobile security platforms
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Vulnerability Management & Remediation
Vulnerability scanning & patching
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Automation & Orchestration
Workflow automation
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Cross-Platform VPN
Integrated VPN solutions
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Additional costs of managing multiple point solutions.

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Legacy Infrastructure (SCCM/ConfigMgr)

Include SCCM/ConfigMgr retirement savings in the comparison

Pricing is based on Omnissa Workspace ONE, rated the leading unified endpoint management platform across all four use cases in the Gartner 2026 Critical Capabilities report and named a Leader in the inaugural Gartner Magic Quadrant for UEM Tools.

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Estimated percentage improvements from platform consolidation.

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