The AI age is here. 79% of leaders surveyed in the latest Microsoft Work Trend Index Annual Report agree their company needs to adopt AI to stay competitive. But 68% of employees surveyed said they struggle with the pace and volume of work. Employees don’t have time to innovate with new technologies like AI when they’re bogged down by repetitive tasks run on old devices. And that’s how companies get left behind as competitors charge forward with advances shaped by next-generation technology.

To drive value in this era of rapid change, employees need tools that remove productivity roadblocks and clear the way for creativity and innovation. Modern devices incorporate new AI experiences, versatile design, and streamlined security and management tools to do just that. Let’s look at three ways modern devices, like the latest from Microsoft Surface, can empower employees to stay competitive in the AI age.

#1: Power productivity

The demands of modern work stand in the way of employee productivity. In Microsoft 365 apps, users spend 60% of their time on emails, chats, and meetings—leaving only 40% of their time for creation apps.[i]

Modern devices help reduce these repetitive but often necessary tasks, leaving more time to focus on creating value, particularly through AI-enabled software and hardware. Take the Copilot key available on Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6. With just the tap of a key, employees gain quick access to Copilot in Windows, an AI assistant that provides personalized support and insights. Beyond that, AI-accelerated Windows Studio Effects combined with high-quality cameras and microphones help make meetings more engaging and keep employees in a collaborative flow.

Modern devices also unleash productivity with enhanced processing power so employees can tackle demanding AI workloads across CPU, GPU, and a new neural processing unit (NPU). Improved functionality and more efficient battery life mean employees spend less time managing their devices and more time on the work that matters.

#2: Simplify IT management and strengthen security

Employees and the IT teams that manage the device fleet also often grapple with security roadblocks and downtime related to updates and deployments. Every interruption costs employees valuable time, while manual work for IT teams means less bandwidth for higher-value, strategic initiatives. Older devices can’t handle the pressures of the modern threat landscape, where the number of known vulnerabilities has been growing steadily.[ii]

Modern devices like Microsoft Surface help simplify IT management in the cloud, giving IT teams more control over their device fleets. Chip-to-cloud security enhances security and protects against vulnerabilities. With secured, up-to-date devices, employees not only have more time but also peace of mind that their work and data is protected.

#3: Future-proof your business

Older devices add time and cost to businesses in other ways, with a lack of accessibility features, design limitations, and performance constraints. By investing in modern devices that align with employees’ needs, businesses can future-proof their workforce, giving them the tools they need to achieve rapid innovation.

AI capabilities in modern devices help employees produce high-quality work in less time, so they can meet tomorrow’s challenges with ease. And as future workloads continue to demand more processing power, modern devices must bring software and hardware together for a more efficient and secure device-to-cloud experience. Local AI processing with built-in NPUs can help reduce latency while keeping data protected at the device level.

Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 use Intel® Core™ Ultra processors, which are purpose-built to support the new era of AI software for businesses, with the power to tackle heavy workloads with low latency. The Copilot+ PCs from Surface, meanwhile, use Snapdragon® X Elite and Plus processors and integrate the power of Surface devices, Copilot, and Windows 11 into an accessible solution that helps employees use their computers more easily and efficiently.

Enable innovation with Microsoft Surface devices

Microsoft Surface devices such as Surface Laptop 6, Surface Pro 10, and Surface Copilot+ PCs help empower employees and drive innovation in this new AI era.

Next Steps: To learn more about how Surface brings software and hardware together, from device to cloud, to enable innovation, check out our e-book, “Powering productive work.”

[i] Collaboration patterns in Microsoft 365 in a rolling 28-day period ending in March 2024, excluding weekends. Time spent is represented by intentional activity in Microsoft 365 applications including Outlook, Teams, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote. Intentional actions include things like attending a meeting, writing an email, analyzing data, and reviewing or editing a document. Includes commercial users and excludes education segment.

[ii] 2023 Qualys Trurisk Research Report, Qualys Threat Research Unit, 2023.

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