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Microsoft Intune APIs Now Available via Microsoft Graph
Microsoft has made it easier for developers and IT pros to tap information associated with its Intune mobile management solution via the Microsoft Graph.
Last week, the company announced that Intune APIs are at the "general availability" (GA) stage in Microsoft Graph. The Microsoft Graph is an underlying search technology that can surface information from across various Office 365 services.
GA typically means ready for production-environment use. However, not all of the APIs made it out of the preview test stage in the Microsoft Graph. The APIs that reached GA are labeled "version 1.0," and existing scripts and apps that used the preview need to be updated to point to the version 1.0 APIs. Other APIs got stuck at the preview stage or still need testing and validation, explained Dave Randall, a senior program manager on the Intune Support Team.
The Intune APIs in Microsoft Graph typically can be accessed within the Azure Portal. They can be accessed via "standalone" Intune deployments, too, but not using the so-called "hybrid" configuration -- that is, Intune integrated with System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), according to this Microsoft document.
Microsoft conceives of Microsoft Graph APIs generally as a sort of one-stop control plane for access to its cloud services, according to Brad Anderson, corporate vice president for Enterprise Mobility + Security at Microsoft, in a follow-up announcement.
"The Office 365 and EMS teams have been working together to integrate our control planes into the Microsoft Graph so that there is just one place for IT Pros and developers to access all of the APIs that integrate with the cloud services," Anderson wrote. "This is a first for us at Microsoft -- never before have the Office, management, identity, and security APIs been brought together like this."
The Intune addition is just the latest one. Microsoft Graph APIs already exist for Azure Active Directory, Office 365 applications and Microsoft Planner. The REST-based APIs provide access to information from calendar and contacts apps, devices, directories and documents. The APIs can be leveraged by so-called "third-party" vendors, or software vendors other than Microsoft.
Microsoft's announcement cited a few cases where partners are using the Intune APIs in Microsoft Graph. They are using them for automating workflows, as well as reporting and analytics purposes. For instance, U.K.-based PowerON Platforms uses Intune APIs in Microsoft Graph to accelerate the delivery of solutions using "baseline deployment templates." Kloud, based in Australia, uses the Microsoft Graph APIs "to integrate Intune device management and support activities into central management portals."
On the analytics side, it's possible to use the Microsoft Graph APIs with Microsoft's Power BI data visualization tools to create custom dashboards. The APIs also work with Intune Data Warehouse to store device monitoring data for "up to 90 days," according to the announcement.
About the Author
Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.