Today’s business-owners are on the lookout for a mobile device that has a tablet’s physique and a laptop’s core.
According to Dell, tablets are capable of increasing productivity by up to 25% and are generally viewed by businesses with “a mix of cautious optimism and nuanced appreciation of operational issues.”
The tablet is smaller and more convenient than a laptop, but has far less computing power. Technology vendors like Microsoft are now blurring the lines between the two devices, offering one device to replace them all.
What is Microsoft Surface Pro 3?
Microsoft promotes the Surface Pro 3 as the thinnest laptop on the market today, calling it the “tablet that can replace your laptop.”
Boasting the slender appearance of a tablet with the power and performance of a laptop, the Surface Pro 3 is less than a centimetre thick and lighter than a kilogram.
The Surface Pro 3’s lightweight, powerful processor ensures mobile employees can work efficiently no matter where they are, while the video conferencing capabilities allow staff to collaborate effectively from any location.
Although the Surface Pro 3 comes with its own set of benefits and challenges, the device is being touted as the best laptop replacement on the market.
What are the benefits of Microsoft Surface Pro 3?
Better Mobility
With the Surface Pro 3, Microsoft accommodates the slew of employees who are no longer chained to their desks. The device offers the convenience of a tablet and functionality of a laptop, supporting a truly mobile workforce.
The shape-shifting device converts from tablet to laptop using a Type Cover - a thin keyboard with a click-in mouse. The docking station instantly connects the device to external monitors, making it indistinguishable from a traditional desktop.
Unlike most tablets, the Surface Pro 3 has multiple ports for connectivity, including USB, mini Display Port and micro SD card readers, making it simple to transfer information or print offline.It possesses 64GB of storage and 10 hours of battery life, as well as optical bonding on the display screen, preventing condensation and glare for when employees need to work outdoors.
The Surface Pro 3 aims to replace three devices with one powerful hybrid, ensuring staff remain productive between meetings, during travel, when working from home and more.
Increased Collaboration and Innovation
Business owners struggle to get employees to collaborate efficiently enough to bring about innovative outcomes. The Surface Pro 3 enables innovative practise because employees can record and share ideas as they surface, video conferencing with co-workers from anywhere in the world.
A study by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited found 75% of millennial employees don’t think business leaders are doing enough to encourage practises that foster the development of new ideas.
When organisations implement the Surface Pro 3, innovation through collaborative processes becomes easier. The Surface Pro 3 allows for up-to-date communications, heedless of geographical location and time zones. International team members can jot down new concepts for operations, products and services on OneNote - the inbuilt note-taking application - as they come up with them, sharing them online or in virtual meetings.
Polycom’s survey revealed video conferencing leads to better collaboration between geographically dispersed colleagues. The Surface Pro 3 has two cameras - one at the front and one at the back of the device - supporting high-definition video conferencing and producing clear photos, as well as Dolby audio, ensuring a true pooling of expertise and creative ideas.
Having a portable device that supports crisp note-taking, annotation and video conferencing, allows employees to collaborate effectively, promising more valuable insights and contributions to the organisation’s future.
Security and Support for Businesses
Many business owners fear drowning in the aftermath of a poor technology deployment. The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 comes with a business support package, ensuring organisations can buy with confidence.
According to Hewlett Packard, security remains the biggest inhibitor to the adoption of mobility solutions. Yet the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is equipped with the latest security and manageability capabilities that Microsoft is renowned for. Security issues are likely to appear only when corporate policies aren’t enforced.
Microsoft offers the Complete for Business package, which includes a three-year warranty, accidental damage protection, faster exchange service and Surface setup support. Microsoft has also promised to continue to support the Surface Pro 3’s Operating System (OS), Windows 8.1, and future upgrades to Windows 10 upon release.
Enterprises looking for a mobility solution that won’t compromise their organisation’s future need look no further than Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3.
What are the challenges of Microsoft Surface Pro 3?
New technology that can be hard for employees to learn
The Windows 8.1 OS is still fairly new and will probably require staff training. Many people find the new OS difficult to navigate. For example, the removal of the original Start Menu continues to vex loyal Windows OS users. However, Microsoft listens to its customers and is working on bringing the Start Menu back and - hopefully - other familiar features in 2015.
More expensive than a typical tablet
The Surface Pro 3 doesn’t come cheap - it starts at $799 without the Type Cover, depending on specifications like storage and performance. However, when compared to similar products, the Surface Pro 3 is competitively priced if purchased without the Docking Station. Microsoft has said they will be offering a $150 discount for organisations buying the Surface Pro 2, Type Cover and Docking Station bundle in the coming weeks.
Overheating
Overheating is a minor issue in some devices. Occasionally, when the Surface Pro 3 begins to overheat, the fan spins loudly to try and dissipate the heat. This can be fixed by launching the Task Manager and closing the Windows Installer Module and Windows Installer Module Worker. Terminating these two services usually resolves this problem.
Is the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 the right device for your organisation?
Whether Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 is the device to end all other devices remains to be seen. In the meantime, the convertible, streamlined laptop provides organisations with the supreme advantage of truly mobile, efficient workers. It makes collaboration easier and more effective, while Microsoft’s Complete for Business allays the fear of a train wreck implementation. Enterprise adoption of Surface Pro 3 allows organisations to harness their workforce’s true potential, pushing productivity to higher summits than previously thought possible.