How does Patch My PC or SCCM improve on Intune for Windows app patching?

The main gap in Intune is automated third-party application patching. Intune can deploy Win32 apps, but you generally have to package and update those applications yourself. Patch My PC maintains packages for a large catalog of applications and publishes updated versions into Intune automatically, where you can deploy them using groups and update rings. It can also notify users to close applications before updating. For an Intune-focused environment, that saves a lot of repetitive packaging work.

Intune’s native application catalog is useful for common software, but its selection and update speed may not cover a larger third-party application estate. Tools such as Patch My PC fill that gap by automatically preparing and publishing updates for applications like browsers, PDF readers, conferencing tools, utilities, and other frequently updated software. This is especially helpful when third-party vulnerabilities are creating a constant backlog.

Configuration Manager provides broader deployment infrastructure, including distribution points, maintenance windows, phased deployments, and detailed on-premises control. It makes sense if you already use it for imaging or complex software distribution. Setting it up solely for application patching can be excessive for a cloud-managed tenant, though. A common approach is to use Windows Update for Business for the operating system, Intune for standard application deployment, and a third-party catalog service for automated third-party updates.