Extend Microsoft Intune with third-party app management using ManageEngine Patch Connect Plus. Deploy, patch, and update hundreds of third-party applications directly from Intune with automated patching and centralized control.
Microsoft Intune application management is the set of capabilities in Intune (part of Microsoft Endpoint Manager) for deploying, configuring, updating, and protecting applications on managed endpoints. Admins use it to push apps to Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices, control how those apps behave, and report on adoption and compliance.
Out of the box, Intune handles Microsoft 365 apps, Edge, store apps, and any line-of-business software you manually package as a Win32 .intunewin file. Apps are assigned to users or devices through Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) groups, and configuration is delivered through app configuration policies and app protection policies.
Intune ships with strong device management and policy controls. Patching non-Microsoft software is not part of that core. Admins running an Intune-only or hybrid co-management setup typically run into three problems.
Patch Connect Plus's Application Management feature for Intune adds the workflows native Intune doesn't cover, while keeping deployment inside the Microsoft Endpoint Manager console.
The update reaches enrolled devices on the next sync. Future releases auto-publish. No manual action required.
There are a handful of tools in this category. Six things separate Patch Connect Plus from the rest and make it the choice for teams already invested in Microsoft Intune.
The bottom line If your team uses Microsoft Intune and needs to patch anything Microsoft didn't write, Patch Connect Plus is the most direct path from "we need this fixed" to "it's done."
Microsoft Intune application management is the set of capabilities in Intune (part of Microsoft Endpoint Manager) for deploying, configuring, updating, and protecting applications on managed endpoints. It covers app assignment to Entra ID groups, Win32 app packaging, configuration policies, app protection policies, and basic deployment reporting. The scope is primarily Microsoft-first apps and any third-party software you manually package as Win32 apps.
Intune does not maintain a catalog of third-party applications with automatic version updates. Microsoft offers Enterprise App Management as a premium add-on, but its catalog is limited and requires an E5 or equivalent license tier. For broader third-party patching, admins typically rely on third-party tools like Patch Connect Plus.
Three main limitations: every third-party app has to be manually packaged as a Win32 .intunewin file and re-uploaded for each vendor release; there is no built-in repository of pre-packaged third-party apps; and there is no consolidated patch compliance view across non-Microsoft vendors. These gaps mean admins spend significant time on packaging and tracking that doesn't exist for Microsoft apps.
Patch Connect Plus plugs into Microsoft Intune to add a curated catalog of 1200+ third-party applications, automated Win32 app packaging, automatic publishing of new vendor releases, and centralized patch compliance reporting. Apps are created directly in your Intune console under Client Apps and assigned to your existing Entra ID groups, so the deployment surface stays inside Microsoft tools.
Yes. Patch Connect Plus monitors vendor sites for new releases and typically publishes new builds to your Intune apps within 6 to 9 hours of release. Supersedence rules are configured automatically so old versions are replaced cleanly. Once an app is set up the first time, the fetch, publish, assign, and install loop runs without admin involvement.
Yes. In addition to the prebuilt catalog of 1200+ third-party apps, Patch Connect Plus supports custom application deployment for in-house and line-of-business software. You can package any MSI or EXE installer, attach pre and post-deployment scripts for registry edits or license activation, and push the deployment through Intune using the same workflow as catalog apps.