Beginning with SCCM 1606, you can create device categories to automatically add devices into device collections when you are using SCCM and Intune in a hybrid scenario. (In a standalone scenario, this feature is named Device group mapping).

At enrollment time, the mobile users are required to choose a device category. Once a device category is selected, the device is added to the corresponding collection based on a new collection membership : Device Category Rule. Device categories can also be set manually on a single device using the SCCM Console.

Here’s everything you need to know in order to manage this new features :

Create SCCM Device Categories

  • Open the SCCM Console
  • Go to Assets and Compliance / Device Collections
  • On the top ribbon, click Manage Device Categories

SCCM Device Categories

  • In the Manage Device Categories dialog box, you can create, edit, or remove categories. For our post, we will be creating a Test category

SCCM Device Categories

Create Device Category Rule

When you associate a collection with a device category, all devices in specified category will be added to that collection. To create a Device category rule :

  • Right-Click your device collection
  • On the Membership Rules tab of the Properties dialog box for a device collection
  • Click Add Rule / Device Category Rule

SCCM Device Categories

  • In the Select Device Categories dialog box, select one or more device categories that you want to target

SCCM Device Categories

  • Close the Select Device Categories dialog box and the collection properties dialog box.
  • Looking at the properties of the query, you can notice that a WQL query has been created that targets MDMDeviceCategoryID.

SCCM Device Categories

Change the category of a device

  • Go to Assets and Compliance / Devices
  • Select a device and click Change Category on the top ribbon
  • In the Edit Device Category window, choose the category to apply to this device, then click OK

SCCM Device Categories

  • You can also select Clear Category if you want to remove all category assign to this device

SCCM Device Categories

Unfortunately, it’s not possible right now to select multiple devices to assign a category.

View category assign to a device

  • Go to Assets and ComplianceDevices
  • Right-click the heading of one of the columns in the Devices list then select Device Category

SCCM Device Categories

  • Device Category will be listed for all devices in that view

SCCM Device Categories

From there, only your imagination is the limit as what you want to deploy to your collections based on devices category.

 

Comments (2)

Julian Thibeault

04.05.2019 AT 01:41 PM
Why cant we assign categories to a collection? For example, if we want to "tag" a device collection with a "Non-Production" tag and then run a report based on that? So close MSFT, so close.

Irfan Fakih

01.17.2018 AT 10:30 AM
I have question regarding the usage of "device category" new feature which started from CB 1606 version. In a standalone Primary Site only environment (no Intune hybrid), when a device category (i.e: TEST) is assigned to the device manually, does this information resides also on the client locally? I will explain why this important and how it can be helpful in practical terms. Lets say, the SCCM client (Windows 10 desktop) is healthy currently. The desktop is put in the closet or it is Turned "OFF" (for unspecific days, don't know). The SCCM Client record on in SCCM Admin Console goes Inactive (after a while based on your settings). From the SCCM Admin Console, I delete the client record to keep my compliance results accurate. The desktop is turned ON (after unspecific days, don't know). Now, I know the SCCM client record (DDR and all other stuff) will get regenerated automatically (no problem) in the SCCM Admin Console (Good). But this same client was part of CollectionX. This CollectionX membership was based on device category rule. (TEST). The question is, will this SCCM client automatically again become part of CollectionX? Is the device category retain at the client side. So, once the client record is regenerated, also device category information is also retained. OR once the SCCM client record is deleted from the SCCM Admin Console, all information goes away (including the device category) from the SCCM server and as well as SCCM client. Any information/feedback will be helpful. Irfan.Fakih@hotmail.com