Windows Autopilot deployment scenarios

Windows Autopilot simplifies and automates the customization of the Out-Of-Box Experience (OOBE) and seamlessly enrolls your devices to management. Once enrolled into Microsoft Intune, devices are secured, configured, and further managed.

There are several usage scenarios currently available with Windows Autopilot, and additional functionality will be added in the future. You should understand the scenarios shown in Table 1-10 that show when you would use Windows Autopilot as part of your Windows 10 deployment strategy.

TABLE 1-10 Windows Autopilot scenarios

Scenario	Description
Windows Autopilot for existing devices	Deploy Windows 10 on an existing Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 device. Requires Configuration Manager Current Branch (1806 or later) to replace the operating system and then allow Windows Autopilot to continue.
Windows Autopilot user-driven mode	Provision Windows 10 on a new Windows 10 device. Devices will be set up by a member of the organization and configured for that person to use.
Windows Autopilot self-deploying mode	Used for transforming Windows 10 devices that will be automatically configured for use as a kiosk terminal, shared computer, or as a digital sign-age device. Can be performed locally by an administrator or via MDM.
Windows Autopilot Reset	Used to redeploy a Windows 10 device. The reset process removes personal files, apps, and settings, and it reapplies a device’s original settings. The connection to Azure AD and Microsoft Intune is retained. A user can sign in to the device using their Azure AD credentials and be productive immediately.

When comparing Autopilot to traditional on-premises deployment methods, such as imaging, there are clear advantages:

• Windows images are not required.
• Drivers are included with Windows 10 and are pre-installed on the device.
• No on-premises deployment infrastructure is required (except if using Windows Autopilot for existing devices).

In the next section, you will learn that devices must have a connection to the internet to use Window Autopilot. If internet access is not available for the Windows Autopilot deployment, then you will need to select an alternative deployment method.

As long as an organization uses cloud-based services—such as Microsoft 365, which includes Azure AD and Microsoft Intune—they will be able to benefit from

• Joining devices to Azure AD automatically.
• Auto-enrolling your devices into Microsoft Intune.
• Lower provisioning costs.
• Restricted Administrator account creation during OOBE.
• Agile deployment of Windows 10 devices.
• Accelerating user productivity.