Microsoft 365 Enterprise is a powerful solution that combines apps, cloud-based products, and a suite of services for meetings, email, and more. Businesses can access its tools through a variety of devices, making it a flexible option for organizations that have dispersed employees using both company and personal devices. But one device actually lets you get the most out of Microsoft 365 Enterprise: the Surface.
Microsoft Surface augments and compounds the benefits of using Microsoft 365. While organizations will still see immense productivity and profitability results from using Microsoft 365 on any device, only the Surface takes it a step further. A 2020 Forrester report found that businesses that equipped end users with Surface devices and also ran Microsoft 365 Enterprise saw a return on investment of 171 percent and massive savings. Read on to get a fuller picture of why the Surface is the optimal choice for a business running Microsoft 365 Enterprise.
Reason 1: Increased Efficiency and Productivity from Improved Collaboration
Microsoft 365 Enterprise tools such as SharePoint, Teams, and Office 365 are renowned for their collaborative benefits and their ability to improve productivity in an organization. But coupled with Surface devices, the solution enables users to do more in real-time, including access the most up-to-date files from anywhere and collaborate on generating documents in the moment.
Businesses surveyed by Forrester reported increased use in SharePoint once employees began access it through Surface devices—relieving them from worrying about version control. One business even reported a 30-40 percent decrease in time spent per file and eight fewer revisions per document.
Surface devices also positively impact offline collaboration—spurring more interactive meetings with screen-sharing and use of Microsoft Whiteboard. Organizations experience a more streamlined work environment as all employee devices have the same specifications and capabilities.
Reason 2: Increased End User Productivity from Device and Interface
There are three key features of Surface devices that support this benefit:
- The Surface interface includes a touchscreen, the ability to run multiple applications side by side, and faster secure long-in with Windows Hello. Businesses see productivity improvements just from these interface features alone.
- The high battery life and light weight of the Surface also encourages work-from-anywhere operation. Employees experience greater flexibility and more convenience.
- Surface Pen and Surface Dial peripherals on the device encourage creativity and note-taking. As the Surface Pen recognizes handwriting, it enables employees to write quickly without worrying about dictating correctly or mistyping information.
Reason 3: Improved IT Costs Related to Device Management
IT experiences better device management by combining Microsoft 365 Enterprise with Surface devices. IT administrators have higher success rates pushing patches and updates to Surface devices—saving sometimes days of time by avoiding mistakes. And IT is less burdened by troubleshooting as Windows Hello introduces biometrics to password processes.
Reason 4: Reduced Costs and Increased Efficiency in Security
With Microsoft 365 Enterprise running on Surface devices, your organization benefits from conducting work within one environment—bolstering your security posture. You no longer have to worry about multiple vendors support for various hardware as your environment is safe from end to end with Microsoft, an industry leader in security.
It becomes easier to control where employees access systems from, and Surface devices can be automatically updated with the latest security patches. If you’re using Microsoft Endpoint Manager as well, your IT team can remotely wipe or lock devices to protect data. And Surface devices come with additional security features such as TPM 2.0 chips, BitLocker, and Surface Enterprise Management Mode (SEMM).
Reason 5: Reduced Costs to Provision and Deploy Devices in IT
Forrester’s research found that IT costs related to provisioning and deploying devices decreased after organizations invested in the Surface/Microsoft 365 Enterprise combination. Using non-Surface devices added time to IT’s imaging and deployment work, whereas Surface devices are provisioned from the cloud. Microsoft can ship the devices directly to end users who can self-deploy them—greatly cutting down IT’s time.
Curious About the Surface?
If you want to maximize your ROI from Microsoft 365 Enterprise, now’s the time to explore onboarding Surface devices into your organization. Point Alliance experts can help you determine if this is a smart move for your business. Contact us with any questions about Microsoft 365 Enterprise and Surface devices.
