Alright, I’ll admit it—this blog might sound a bit like a sales pitch. But trust me, I wouldn’t be writing it if I didn’t genuinely believe this is a game-changer. In 20 years of IT, I’ve seen plenty of “revolutionary” tools that turned out to be just another overhyped script. But every now and then, something comes along that actually solves a real-world problem in a way that makes you stop and say, “Where has this been all my life?”

 

For years, IT teams have assumed that moving from SCCM-managed, Hybrid Azure AD-joined Windows 10 devices to a fully Entra-managed Windows 11 setup meant one thing: buying new laptops. The perceived wisdom has been that you can’t flip devices in-place, leaving many companies spending a fortune on shipping, reimaging, and redeploying hardware.

Well, that’s a myth. You can do this migration in-place, without disrupting users or breaking compliance. Even better? There’s now a tool to make it easier—Prem2Cloud https://prem2cloud.co.uk/ created by my friend Dean Longstaff.

You can now wipe and reimage devices in-place, flipping them from legacy SCCM Hybrid-Join to fully cloud-managed Windows 11—without costly shipping, manual touchpoints, or unnecessary hardware upgrades.

Let’s break down why this is important, how it works, and why you don’t need to spend a fortune replacing devices unnecessarily.

 

Why Migrate to Entra Managed Windows 11?

Before we jump into the how, let’s address the why.

Many organisations still rely on SCCM (ConfigMgr) and Hybrid Azure AD Join, which means:

  • SCCM still controls devices (and requires on-prem infrastructure).
  • Hybrid Azure AD Join ties devices to both on-prem AD and Azure AD, adding complexity.
  • Co-Management bridges SCCM and Intune, but full cloud management is often the goal.

Migrating to Entra ID-joined, Intune-managed Windows 11 means:

  • No more dependency on on-prem domain controllers.
  • Better security with Conditional Access, passwordless authentication, and zero-trust policies.
  • Seamless device management from anywhere, with Autopilot, Intune, and cloud-native policies.

 

The Traditional Migration Problem (and Why It’s Broken)

Before Prem2Cloud, migrating SCCM Hybrid-Joined Windows 10 devices to Entra ID-Managed Windows 11 meant jumping through a series of painful hoops. IT teams usually had three choices, and none of them were great:

❌ Manually reimage devices – Requires IT staff to physically touch each device, leading to major time and resource constraints.

❌ Buy and deploy new hardware – A costly, time-consuming approach that’s completely unnecessary for most organizations.

❌ Ship devices to a depot for reimaging – Expensive, disruptive to end-users, and still relies on manual processes.

Some IT teams tried in-place migrations using custom scripts—but that’s risky. Why?

  1. Recovery partitions aren’t always reliable – If the partition is missing, corrupt, or out of date, the process fails, leaving the device in limbo.
  2. Custom scripts often require manual intervention – Every environment is different, and one script rarely fits all use cases.
  3. SCCM doesn’t play nicely with Intune in transition – Removing legacy management can leave devices orphaned if not handled correctly.

This is why so many organizations default to buying new devices, believing that in-place migration is too complex or unreliable.

That’s where Prem2Cloud changes the game. It completely wipes and reimages the device without relying on the recovery partition or fragile scripting workarounds. It’s a true end-to-end solution for moving from SCCM Hybrid-Join to Entra ID + Intune-managed Windows 11—without the headache.

 

How Prem2Cloud Fixes This

Here’s where Prem2Cloud changes everything. Instead of relying on manual IT intervention, depot shipping, or unreliable scripts, this tool fully automates the migration process—remotely, in-place, and with zero need for new hardware.

With Prem2Cloud, you can:

✅ Wipe and reimage the device automatically – No need for IT to manually intervene or rely on pre-existing recovery partitions.

✅ Join the device to Entra ID and enroll it in Intune – Completely removing the old SCCM Hybrid-Join setup and replacing it with a modern cloud-native Windows 11 build.

✅ Reinstall required apps and policies via Intune – Ensuring users get exactly what they need after migration, fully aligned with corporate security policies.

✅ Schedule migrations in advance – IT teams can set a specific migration date, ensuring a controlled and phased rollout rather than a chaotic, all-at-once transition.

✅ Give end-users a clear migration experience – The tool provides a simple, user-friendly GUI, walking them through the process so they know exactly what’s happening. No surprises, no confusion—just a seamless transition.

For IT teams, Prem2Cloud removes the complexity of reimaging devices remotely and at scale, making SCCM-to-Entra migrations as smooth as possible. If you’ve been holding off your Windows 11 transition because of cost or complexity, this tool eliminates those roadblocks completely.

 

Step-by-Step Migration Using Prem2Cloud

Migrating your existing Windows 10 Hybrid-Joined devices to Windows 11 Entra-Managed involves a few key steps:

1. Assess Your Device Fleet

 

Before jumping in, check:

  • Hardware compatibility – Does your fleet meet Windows 11’s TPM and Secure Boot requirements?
  • App dependencies – Identify any legacy apps still relying on on-prem AD or SCCM.

2. Deploy Prem2Cloud

  1. Install the Prem2Cloud client on existing Windows 10 devices.
  2. Configure migration settings (wipe, reimage, Entra Join).
  3. Define Intune deployment policies to ensure devices get the correct apps, settings, and security baselines post-migration.
  4. Set up any automations, such as the adding of users ot devices to Entra-ID groups at different migration stages.

 

 

3. Migrate Devices In-Place

Once ready:

  1. Trigger the migration via Prem2Cloud.
  2. Device wipes itself, reimages, and installs Windows 11.
  3. Automatically joins Entra ID + enrolls into Intune.
  4. Apps and policies reapply based on Intune profiles.
  5. User logs in with Entra ID credentials—job done.

No shipping. No manual imaging. No wasted money on unnecessary laptops.

 

 

Why This is a Game-Changer

  • No more buying new devices just to modernize.
  • No need for IT staff to physically touch devices.
  • Migrate users without disrupting their work.
  • Saves money and speeds up digital transformation.
  • Keeps users informed every step of the way

 

Final Thoughts: The Cloud-First Future is Here

The move to cloud-native, Entra-managed Windows 11 devices is inevitable, especially with the End of Windows 10 announced. Don’t let outdated migration assumptions cost you millions in unnecessary hardware refreshes.

With Prem2Cloud, you can modernize your existing fleet without the waste, cost, or downtime.

So, if you’re still buying new devices or manually reimaging old ones, ask yourself: Why?

Check out Prem2Cloud here: https://prem2cloud.co.uk and start migrating without the headaches.