Microsoft wants to be a 'strong player' in hardware

Ryan Asdourian, Microsoft's Windows and Surface lead, says the vendor has big aspirations for the hardware market

Microsoft's Windows and Surface lead Ryan Asdourian (pictured) has claimed the vendor wants to become a "strong player" in the hardware market.

The vendor has traditionally been known for its dominance in the software market, but introduced its first Surface model in 2012. While they initially started slowly, Surface sales have soared in recent months and for its Q2 2016, sales were up 29 per cent year on year at $1.3bn (£900m).

Asdourian said that Microsoft is hopeful of becoming a major hardware player.

"I think that's something that we aspire to be," he told CRN. "It's fair to say we are all in on investing in beautiful and great hardware. We are doing that in parallel with our partners that also build hardware; the OEMs have come out with lots of beautiful machines.

"But to say Microsoft aspires to be a strong player in the hardware business is a true statement," he added. "It's something you have to earn and it's something we have been working very hard to earn. We have traditionally been very strong in software, and this is a way to show how that comes together to make a delightful experience for customers."

Many commentators have said that Apple's iPad Pro was a reaction to the Surface. When asked if the Surface poses a threat to the iPad, Asdourian pointed to the complete nature of the Microsoft device range.

"The iPad Pro is a great product," he said. "But I think what we offer is the ability to run full applications, run a very full suite of security software, run Windows 10. It's all in the Surface and it's the ultimate combination of a tablet and a PC."

You can read more about the Surface and how it has played out in the channel in the upcoming issue of CRN.