Hey everyone! I'm excited to share that we've finally got the green light for non-profit licenses for our library, and we're gearing up to roll out over 55 new Windows 11 computers. After deliberating on a budget-friendly office solution, we've settled on Microsoft 365 Business Premium. However, since libraries operate a bit differently with shared computers and public workstations, I have a few questions regarding setup and licensing. I'm coming from an Active Directory background but have since moved away from that setup for local user accounts. Given the inclusion of Entra and Intune with M365, I'm eager to learn and leverage these tools, especially since we already use Google Workspace for email.
For employee workstations, one license per computer should suffice. However, I'm unsure how to manage our circulation computers, which five different employees regularly share. They need access to various library systems, and I doubt having them log in with different accounts each time is feasible. I'm considering setting up a dedicated "Circulation" user for all three circulation computers to keep things streamlined and eliminate any personal usage.
As for our public computers, they currently run on Windows 10 Pro with Deep Freeze. Can I integrate these into Intune without individual licenses for each? The hardware upgrade costs are already piling up, and I'm not sure how the user management would work for over 60 public computers. Last but not least, I heard about the unattended Remote Help feature—is this part of our M365 subscription? Looking forward to your insights and thanks for bearing with me!
2 Answers
It's great that you're diving into Azure AD and Intune! If you set up your baseline image through Intune, that can simplify things significantly when getting each PC up and running. Using generic accounts for public PCs is wise, as it helps with privacy and management. And yes, Windows Remote Assist can be handy for remote help—definitely look into that! Just a heads-up though: setting this up correctly can be a bit tricky and might require some outside help, depending on your resources.
Congrats on getting the non-profit license! As an IT person at a public library, I'd suggest you sign up for the education licensing options too. Microsoft often gives better rates for education, which can save money. For your circulation computers, having them auto log into unique user profiles like 'circuser-1', 'circuser-2', etc., can help you keep track of activity and manage files easier. Also, deep freeze is a great option if you need each PC to reset after use. With Google Workspace already in play, it might be smart to gradually transition parts to 365 when budget allows, as it integrates nicely with other tools you have. Feel free to reach out if you have more questions!
Do you think the education version would be significantly cheaper than the Business Premium? That sounds promising!
Thanks for the tips! I'll definitely look into that option for remote help and consider getting a contractor if needed.