Advanced Management Features for BitLocker
Microsoft has announced improved management features for BitLocker hard disk encryption for the second half of 2019. These will be available in both, Microsoft Intune and System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). The software group currently offers three BitLocker management alternatives for enterprises to encrypt modern devices: Microsoft Intune for cloud-based BitLocker management as well as System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) and Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM) as on-premises solutions.
The software company is thus probably responding to the approaching end of mainstream support for Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM) on 9 July 2019 and is now announcing the extended management functions of MBAM as improvements for Microsoft Intune and System Center Configuration Manager. MBAM has been the corporate standard for BitLocker management since 2011. Customers can still use MBAM 2.5 SP1 until the end of extended support on July 9, 2024. However, new features are no longer expected. In the future, Microsoft will only develop new BitLocker management functions for Intune and SCCM.
According to the software company, the new BitLocker management functions in the Current Branch for Configuration Manager will be published in a preview from June 2019, the final version is announced for the second half of 2019.
Source: Microsoft