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Feature Highlight: Microsoft Surface Mobility

Feature Highlight: Microsoft Surface Mobility

microsoft-surface-goIn today’s modern workforce where remote working is commonplace, business mobility is essential for success. When you have employees operating outside of a traditional office setting, it becomes even more vital that they’re still able to be efficient and contribute to their team—even though they aren’t physically with them.

This requires leveraging the right mobile business tools that give your employees consistent access to the workplace resources and collaboration tools they need. Without this mobility, it will be incredibly difficult for them to be productive in a remote office setup.

One of the most powerful tools for remote employees is the Microsoft Surface family of mobile computing devices. These Microsoft Surface mobility tools can increase connectivity, performance, and flexibility across your business. What features are these devices equipped with that can help get you there? Let’s explore a few.

Feature #1: LTE Connectivity

One of the most common hurdles to achieving business mobility is the need for a stable high-speed internet connection. When employees are working remotely, they may not always have access to a fast and secure internet connection. Often times, the internet in their home, client’s office, or favorite coffee shop is spotty and plagued with slow upload and download speeds. When they can’t access the files and apps they need to get their job done, productivity comes to a halt. This is precisely the problem Microsoft Surface on the go devices were designed to help solve.

The Microsoft Surface with LTE utilizes radio frequency communications (similar to how cell phones get service) to connect to an LTE network tower. This way, remote employees using Microsoft Surface mobile tools, such as the Surface Pro, can enjoy access to the internet and any cloud-based apps. All they need is a cell phone signal!

Feature #2: Collaboration Capabilities

You may be under the impression that all laptops and tablets have pretty much the same collaboration capabilities. After all, you can send an email or have a Skype call from any device, right? While that is true, these forms of communications aren’t always the most efficient or effective option. Lengthy email chains make it difficult to locate files and determine which version is the most up-to-date, while third-party meeting services that aren’t custom-built for your devices are often prone to glitches and technical difficulties.

That’s why the Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Go devices were specifically designed to seamlessly integrate with Microsoft Office 365 for Business and Teams. Office 365 includes access to familiar Microsoft tools such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Teams then allows your employees to simultaneously work on, edit, and approve files on your Office 365 software. Because the Surface family of devices was purposely built to create ease of use and collaboration across this MS software, remote workers can experience enhanced mobility.

Feature #3: Size and Flexibility

Microsoft Surface products were designed with mobile business needs in mind. They’re ultra-light and easy to handle—while the average laptop will typically weigh anywhere from two to six pounds (depending on the model and its capabilities), The Surface Go LTE Advanced model weighs a mere 1.17 pounds. This makes Microsoft Surface on the go tools small and light enough to be carried and used anywhere—whether that’s a living room in the user’s home, modern coworking space, client’s office, or cramped seat on a flight.

Plus, with built-in touchscreen technology and the ability to effortlessly switch between “laptop” and “tablet” modes, the Surface Pro and Go offers unmatched flexibility. Having to carry around multiple devices and switch between them is frustrating, time-consuming, and can make a travel bag quite heavy. Instead, the Microsoft Surface Pro is one device that can do it all. If you’re typing up a lengthy report, you probably want to use laptop mode for Office apps such as Word. Do you need to use a mobile-oriented app to confirm a meeting or check in for a flight? In that case, you can easily switch to tablet mode. This is incredibly efficient for remote working, as your employees can rely on the same device, even though what they’re working on and the environments they’re working in may constantly be changing.

Feature #4: Secure Business Mobility

One of the few disadvantages of remote working is that it can increase the risk of data breaches in your business. Chances are that your remote workers are tapping into public, unsecured Wi-Fi networks at shopping centers, coffee shops, or client’s offices. Often times, hackers will target these unsecured networks, creating spoofs of public networks to trick people into connecting with them. If an employee connects to this kind of fake network, a “man-in-the-middle” (MITM) attack can occur. This means their data would be routed through the attacker’s system and copied before going through the legitimate network.

Using a Microsoft Surface with LTE capabilities and the Microsoft Teams collaboration software suite can minimize the risks of these kind of MITM attacks in two main ways. First, by connecting to cell networks via LTE, Microsoft Surface Pro mobile devices make it possible to avoid Wi-Fi interceptions altogether. A hacker cannot hijack a connection between remote workers and the local Wi-Fi router if they aren’t using Wi-Fi in the first place. Second, when using Teams on Microsoft Surface mobile devices, data is automatically encrypted—both at-rest in-transit. This frustrates attackers, meaning they’ll likely just move on to another user whose device is not protected by such robust security features.

By allowing employees to have LTE connectivity with only a cell signal, collaborate through Office 365 and Teams software, seamlessly switch between laptop and tablet mode, and have secure access to the internet, Microsoft Surface devices can transform your operation into a truly mobile business.

Want to learn more about how Microsoft Surface on the go tools can enhance remote working and mobility in your business? Subscribe to the Protected Trust blog for more information or schedule an introduction with one of our experts today! 

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