Resellers get their hands on second-generation Surfaces

Microsoft insists the new versions are more suited to businesses than ever before

Microsoft has launched its second-generation Surface tablets to the channel today and has insisted the new iterations are more business-friendly than ever before.

The software giant, which is now billing itself as a devices and services firm, unveiled the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 last month, and resellers authorised to sell them were upbeat about the new designs. The next-generation Surfaces have a better battery life and faster processing power.

Microsoft was criticised by its channel last year for not letting resellers sell its first Surface offerings, but today claimed it has been working extra hard to give the channel the new ones.

"We have seen exciting demand for Surface in business over the past three months [and] we have made tremendous headway into establishing the right infrastructure for getting our tablets to more business customers in more places," said Cyril Belikoff, Microsoft's Surface director.

"Our expanded reseller network brings a variety of additional value-added services to the Surface family, such as asset tagging, custom imaging, knitting, onsite service and support, device recycling and data protection.

"Business users who use Surface particularly love the ability to buy through the resellers they are already working with for their hardware purchases and ongoing support."

The vendor admitted it is often asked about how Surface fits into businesses and large enterprises, and paraded new customers Delta Airlines, City National Bank and the London School of Business and Finance as examples of those who have bought its tablets.

"Surface Pro 2 is a perfect, no-compromise laptop replacement. And Surface 2 (the ARM version) is an amazing tablet for line-of-business scenarios and executives," added Belikoff.

"For Surface Pro 2, we have been laser focused on user feedback to complete the laptop replacement promise."