Microsoft has changed how several advanced Intune Suite capabilities are licensed, moving them out of a standalone add-on and into existing Microsoft 365 plans. For SMB administrators who rely on Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft 365 E5, or the Enterprise Mobility + Security E3 (EMS E3) bundle, this matters because it can change what your organization already has access to, without requiring a new purchase.
This article summarizes what Microsoft’s own sources confirm about this change: what’s included, in which plans, and as of when. It also flags two specific questions from the original research brief, list-price changes and Microsoft 365 Business Premium, that the supplied sources do not address.
Background: how Intune licensing is structured
Microsoft documents Intune licensing as three plans:
- Intune Plan 1 – the base service, providing core cloud-based device and app management.
- Intune Plan 2 – additive to Plan 1, adding advanced capabilities including Remote Help and Advanced Analytics.
- Intune Suite – additive to Plan 1, and includes everything in Plan 2 plus additional advanced endpoint management and security capabilities.
According to Microsoft, most organizations don’t buy these plans individually. Instead, they get Intune as part of a broader Microsoft 365 bundle such as Microsoft 365 E3, E5, or E7. This bundling context is important background for the change described below: Microsoft is not creating a new Intune product, it is changing which Intune capabilities are already included inside existing Microsoft 365 and EMS subscriptions.
What changed: Intune Suite capabilities move into Microsoft 365 E3 and E5
Microsoft announced in December 2025 that select advanced Intune Suite capabilities would be added to Microsoft 365 E3 (through EMS E3) and Microsoft 365 E5. A follow-up Microsoft Intune Blog post confirms that these packaging changes took effect as of July 1, and that advanced Intune Suite capabilities are now included in Microsoft 365 E5, with select capabilities included in Microsoft 365 E3.
The capabilities named across both posts are:
- Intune Remote Help
- Intune Advanced Analytics
- Intune Endpoint Privilege Management (EPM)
- Intune Enterprise Application Management (EAM)
- Microsoft Cloud PKI
What’s included in EMS E3 and Microsoft 365 E3
Microsoft’s FAQ table specifies that the following are now included in Microsoft Enterprise Mobility + Security E3 (EMS E3), which is itself included in Microsoft 365 E3:
- Intune Remote Help
- Intune Advanced Analytics
- Intune Plan 2 (which, per Microsoft’s licensing documentation, also encompasses Remote Help and Advanced Analytics, along with other Plan 2 capabilities such as Tunnel for Mobile Application Management, specialty device management, and firmware-over-the-air updates for supported Zebra devices)
In practical terms, this means organizations already licensed for Microsoft 365 E3 gain access to these Intune Plan 2-level capabilities without purchasing a separate add-on.
What’s included in Microsoft 365 E5
The same FAQ table states that Microsoft 365 E5 includes everything listed above for E3, plus:
- Intune Endpoint Privilege Management
- Microsoft Cloud PKI
- Intune Enterprise Application Management
Microsoft 365 E5 is also listed as including Microsoft Security Copilot, though Microsoft notes separately that Security Copilot and related AI capabilities may require additional, separate licensing depending on usage.
A caveat worth noting
One of the Microsoft Intune Blog posts includes a footnote stating that “feature availability and included capabilities vary by Microsoft 365 subscription plan” and that “some advanced Microsoft Intune capabilities may require additional licenses.” Administrators should treat the table above as a general summary rather than an assumption that every capability is automatically available to every user in every scenario without verification.
Effective dates and rollout
Based on the supplied sources:
- The change was originally announced in December 2025, with capabilities expected to begin rolling out in Microsoft’s fiscal CY26 Q3.
- Microsoft stated that eligible organizations would receive a 30-day notice in the Microsoft 365 admin center (Message Center) before the change became active in their tenant.
- A later Microsoft Intune Blog post, dated July 1, confirms the packaging changes “are now in effect” as of that date, with advanced capabilities included in Microsoft 365 E5 and select capabilities included in Microsoft 365 E3.
- That same post also notes that existing customers would receive their 30-day Message Center notice and have access by August 2026.
Taken together, this indicates a phased rollout: the licensing change became effective July 1, but individual tenants may not see the capabilities appear until their specific 30-day notice period completes, with full access expected by August 2026.
Practical recommendation: Because the rollout is tenant-by-tenant and notice-based, don’t assume these capabilities are active in your tenant simply because the effective date has passed. Check your Microsoft 365 admin center Message Center for a notification specific to your organization before communicating availability to your IT team or end users. This is a practical operational step, not a documented Microsoft requirement.
What the supplied sources do not confirm
Two parts of the original research question are not addressed by the approved Microsoft sources reviewed for this article:
- List-price changes. None of the supplied sources mention any change to the list price of Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft 365 E5, or EMS E3 in connection with this licensing change. No claim about pricing impact can be made based on the available material.
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium. None of the supplied sources mention Microsoft 365 Business Premium at all, whether in relation to Intune Suite capabilities, this packaging change, or ongoing separate-purchase requirements. Organizations using Business Premium should not assume this change applies to their plan based on this article; that question is simply not answered by the supplied source material.
If your organization relies on Business Premium or needs confirmed pricing details, verify directly through your Microsoft licensing channel or the official Microsoft Intune pricing page rather than assuming parity with the E3/E5 changes described here.
Practical steps for SMB administrators
The following are practical recommendations, not documented Microsoft requirements:
- Confirm your current licensing tier. Check whether your organization is licensed for Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft 365 E5, or EMS E3, since the capabilities described above apply specifically to these plans.
- Watch your Message Center. Since Microsoft ties availability to a 30-day tenant notice, monitor the Microsoft 365 admin center for a notification before assuming these capabilities are live.
- Validate specific capability availability before relying on it operationally. Given Microsoft’s own caveat that some capabilities may require additional licenses, test and confirm access to features like Endpoint Privilege Management, Cloud PKI, or Enterprise Application Management in your tenant before building processes around them.
- Don’t assume Business Premium parity. If your organization is on Business Premium rather than E3 or E5, treat this change as not applicable until Microsoft publishes guidance specific to that plan.
Conclusion
Microsoft has moved a meaningful set of advanced Intune capabilities, Remote Help, Advanced Analytics, and Intune Plan 2 into EMS E3 and Microsoft 365 E3, and added Endpoint Privilege Management, Enterprise Application Management, and Cloud PKI to Microsoft 365 E5. This change, announced in December 2025 and described as in effect from July 1, is rolling out tenant by tenant with a 30-day Message Center notice, with full access expected by August 2026.
For SMB administrators on E3 or E5, this is worth checking now: capabilities you may have previously evaluated as a separate Intune Suite purchase could already be included in your current subscription. However, the supplied Microsoft sources do not confirm any list-price changes or clarify the situation for Microsoft 365 Business Premium, so those specific questions remain open and should be verified directly with Microsoft before making licensing decisions. As always, confirm final details in your own tenant’s Message Center and official Microsoft licensing resources, and treat this article as a starting point for further verification rather than a final licensing determination.