Posted by Business Matters Blog Staff

All the things that make Microsoft Surface devices attractive to consumers — lightweight design, ability to use both touch and keyboard, the ease and familiarity of Windows — make them appealing to enterprise users as well. But devices used in the workplace must also meet enterprise requirements for internal network security, industry-specific software functionality, and manageability across a large and often widely distributed workforce. Today, Microsoft announced a new Surface Enterprise Initiative, kicking off with an expanded partnership with Dell to deliver premium Windows 10 devices and word-class services and support to enterprise customers.

Under the expanded partnership, Dell will sell Surface Pro 3 devices and accessories and offer service and support through its commercial sales organization, making it easier for businesses to deploy Surface devices as part of their enterprisewide hardware mix. Microsoft also plans to leverage our longstanding relationships with HP, Accenture and Avanade to enable more customers to enjoy the benefits of Windows 10.

Many enterprise customers have already deployed Surface across a wide range of industries including healthcare, banks and financial services, manufacturing and more. In the airline industry, Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa are adopting Surface devices to help eliminate the use of paper in cockpit procedures — particularly during takeoff and landing, when laptops cannot be used. Automotive sales company Infiniti retail group UK has streamlined the car-buying experience by using Surface devices for every step of the process, replacing everything from brochures to the sales desk and creating a unique retail experience.

The Surface Enterprise Initiative will make it easier for even more companies to ensure individual employees have exactly the right devices for the job. Retail sales associates can use Surface to suggest related purchases, order additional stock and close sales right on the showroom floor. Manufacturing plant managers can respond to email, document equipment inspections and update production forecasts from a single device. And financial executives can monitor client accounts and prepare audit reports, secure in the knowledge that their devices and apps comply with industry regulations.