Image source: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/us-partner-blog/2018/02/21/windows-autopilot-deployment-program/

Every time a new Windows device is deployed, custom images need to be built, maintained, and applied to make it ready for new users, despite already having a perfectly good operating system installed.

After that, IT department members need to follow up with hours of manual app setups, drivers, policies, settings, etc. All of this, mind you, needs to be done for every repurposed device found in an organization, which implies a lot of time, energy, and resources being spent that could be used elsewhere. This is where Windows AutoPilot comes into play.

What is Windows AutoPilot?

Windows AutoPilot is a collection of technologies specifically created to remove all of the issues mentioned above. Its purpose is to set up and pre-configure new devices and get them ready for use. You can also use the AutoPilot to reset, repurpose, or recover old devices, allowing the IT department to do these tasks with little to no infrastructure.

The AutoPilot tool was designed to simplify the entire lifecycle of Windows devices, going from the initial deployment to the eventual end of the life cycle. In short, using cloud-based services, such as Windows AutoPilot, will help organizations by reducing their overall costs in terms of deployment, management, and even retiring old devices.

This is done primarily by reducing the total time spent on these processes, as well as the amount of infrastructure needed for maintenance, which will not only make life easier for the IT department but also the end-users.

That said, here are the main benefits of using Windows AutoPilot.

No More OS Re-Imaging

Traditionally, IT members had to manually install apps and drivers, manage the infrastructure, and set policies. With AutoPilot, however, all of this is done automatically. With a smart and easy pre-configuration, you will set all of these once, set up an AutoPilot profile in Microsoft Intune, and have all settings applied to all of your Windows devices under that profile.

The Self-Deployment Mode

Windows AutoPilot's Self-Deploying mode takes streamlining one step beyond by enabling any new Windows 10 device, which has been pre-enrolled in the AutoPilot program to be ready without any additional interaction from the IT department. In other words, your new device will automatically get all the settings configured the moment you power it on and connect it to the internet.

Stay on Top of Security and Compliance

AutoPilot’s Enrollment Status Page will ensure that your devices are fully configured, secured, and compliant with all requirements before users access it. Your system managers will be able to check the status of each device in real-time, allowing them to keep the equipment in out-of-box experience (OBE) until all policies and configurations are provisioned. They can then choose actions that users can perform in the event of failures and set up custom messages.

The Windows AutoPilot Reset Feature

Windows Autopilot Reset allows you to prepare devices for re-use by removing personal files, settings, and apps, reapplying the device's original settings. This is done while also maintaining the device's identity connection to Azure AD and its management connection to Intune. The Reset feature takes the device back to a business-ready state, allowing the next user to utilize the device at a moment's notice.