Hi everyone, our organization has been relying heavily on Microsoft Configuration Manager for years to manage our Windows endpoints. It’s great for what it does, but we are starting to notice some gaps, especially when it comes to third-party applications and managing non-Windows devices.
So, my question is Can SCCM be effectively integrated with other management tools to extend its capabilities, or are we better off looking for a complete replacement?
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Hey @timo-liam! The short answer is yes, absolutely. If you look at the features and capabilities of Configuration Manager, one of the biggest integration points is Co-management. You can cloud-attach your existing SCCM environment to Microsoft Intune. This lets you manage Windows devices simultaneously with both tools. It also integrates seamlessly with Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and Windows Autopilot for provisioning.
You don’t necessarily need to rip and replace. You can just extend SCCM’s reach into the cloud!
Adding to what @@leo_scott said, if your specific pain point is patching third-party applications (like Adobe, Java, Chrome, etc.), you definitely don’t need to ditch SCCM. Native SCCM is fantastic for Microsoft updates, but it struggles with third-party software out of the box.
We solved this by integrating a third-party tool directly into our SCCM console. We use ManageEngine Patch Connect Plus. It automatically fetches updates for hundreds of non-Microsoft applications and publishes them directly to the SCCM server. You literally just deploy them using your existing SCCM Software Update Groups. It also works with Intune if you decide to go the Co-management route. Highly recommend looking into add-ons like this before abandoning your current setup.
Thanks, both! Co-management with Intune and an add-on for patching makes a lot of sense for our Windows fleet.
However, we are seeing a massive influx of iOS, Android, and macOS devices as our company embraces a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy and hires more remote designers. SCCM feels very clunky for these. Does anyone have experience bridging SCCM with a dedicated UEM solution?
Hello @timo-liam, and welcome to Hexnode Connect! I’d love to chip in here from the Hexnode perspective.
You’ve hit on a very common scenario. SCCM is a legacy powerhouse for traditional, domain-joined Windows PC management, but as you’ve noticed, it wasn’t natively designed for the modern, multi-OS, mobile-first workspace (macOS, iOS, Android, tvOS, etc.).
While many IT teams deploy a UEM alongside SCCM to cover their non-Windows devices, you actually don’t have to manage them in completely disconnected silos! Hexnode offers a native SCCM Integration designed specifically to bridge that gap. Here is how it works:
Unified Inventory Sync: You can install the Hexnode SCCM Agent directly onto your SCCM server. This connects to your SCCM database and automatically syncs your existing Windows device lists into the Hexnode admin portal, giving you visibility of your fleet in one place.
Streamlined Deployment: Instead of manually migrating devices, you can use SCCM’s powerful software deployment engine (Software Library) to silently push the Hexnode UEM MSI app to your Windows devices.
Modernizing at Your Own Pace: Once enrolled via SCCM, you can seamlessly transition those legacy-managed Windows devices into modern, cloud-based UEM management. This is incredibly helpful for shifting your remote workers and BYOD endpoints to cloud management without losing track of them.
Integrating tools doesn’t just mean running them side-by-side; it means using your existing heavy-lifter (SCCM) as the launchpad to bring your entire fleet under one unified umbrella. Let me know if you’d like to see a demo of how this agent deployment works!
That is exactly what I was looking for! Knowing that we can actually use SCCM to push the Hexnode agent and sync the databases makes a phased migration/co-management strategy much less daunting. I’ll review the tool and will definitely be reaching out to schedule a Hexnode demo to see that SCCM database sync in action. Thanks everyone!
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