Embracing AI for a competitive edge: How AI-enabled PCs position your business to lead
The 2024 Microsoft Work Trend Index Annual Report, AI at Work Is Here. Now Comes the Hard Part, reveals a pivotal shift in how organizations must adapt to remain competitive: AI is increasingly being integrated into everyday workflows across various industries. In the blog post, we will discuss some of the data highlighted by this report and how AI-enabled PCs can help businesses capitalize on these trends.Securing workplaces for AI advantage: Microsoft Surface elevates protection in a digital landscape
AI is transforming workplaces worldwide, redefining productivity and freeing time for innovation. From automating tasks to delivering insights, AI enables businesses to move faster and smarter. With these advancements come new responsibilities, especially as AI becomes integrated with important business data. Traditional measures designed for static environments fall short in a landscape where AI drives dynamic, data-intensive processes. When building an AI adoption strategy, maximizing the value of AI while ensuring security and compliance requires a strategic approach—one that is rooted in device choice, specifically the devices employees use to access new apps and services.Thinking by hand: digital inking with Surface Pen
Keyboard and mouse or touchpad have become fundamental to everyday work. Microsoft Surface engineers have spent years refining those traditional tools to deliver exceptional experiences—but that’s not the end of the story. What if there was another tool—something that added flexibility, creativity, and a more personal way to engage with your ideas? That’s where inking comes in. The digital inking experience on Surface devices is designed to facilitate new ways of working. To understand how a seemingly simple tool can transform productivity, we spoke with Surface MVPs, who are experts recognized for their deep knowledge of Surface devices. They shared how using the Surface Pen supports effective ideation, collaboration, and innovation. To learn how embracing digital ink can enhance your business’s device strategy, read on. Ideas in motion Some ideas are easier to write down. Others are easier to draw. Inking makes it simple to capture both with sketches, diagrams, or notes as thinking develops. Rob Quickenden, Chief Technology Officer at Cisilion, relies on the Surface Pen to communicate complex concepts. "In meetings, I often draw solutions for customers or my team directly in OneNote or Whiteboard, whether offline or in real time," he says. That could mean a rough outline of a network infrastructure, a quick process flow for a marketing project, or notes layered over a shared document to streamline decision-making. Inking can communicate ideas that would otherwise require long explanations, which can increase the efficiency of collaboration. Surface Slim Pen 2 capabilities include a feature called Zero Force inking, which reduces the delay between the pen touching the screen and the ink appearing. A sharper tip and precision tilt detection enhance control. Haptic feedback provides tactile cues that simulate a writing sensation. The added tactile response engages the hand and the mind for intuitive and fluid inking. The result feels natural—like pen on paper, but with the expansive capabilities of digital technology. Digital efficiency, handcrafted engagement: how handwriting activates complex brain connectivity Research using EEG analysis shows that handwriting with a digital pen activates more complex brain connectivity patterns than typing, supporting memory formation and deeper learning.[1] Yet traditional handwritten notes come with drawbacks: they pile up, get misplaced, and aren’t searchable. OneNote Copilot now supports inked notes, allowing users to analyze both typed and handwritten notes directly from the ribbon or canvas.[2] With Microsoft Surface Pro and Microsoft 365, handwritten notes can be synced, searched, and converted to type. In OneNote, you can write meeting notes with the pen, circle key points, and later search for any word—even handwritten ones. Brett Gilbertson, Digital Skills Coach and Microsoft Surface MVP, says, “The most underutilized and overlooked feature on Surface Pro is the pen. It’s essential for notetaking, ideating, and creating—a true thinking tool.” He switches seamlessly between structured notes in OneNote and freeform sketches in Whiteboard. Collaboration without friction: Enhancing remote and in-person teamwork with digital inking In digital meetings, quick visuals help teams align. Inking adds this layer of interaction, turning passive screens into active workspaces. Josh Jones, Modern Work Specialist at Microsoft, uses the Surface Pen during Teams meetings to stay focused and effective. “Nothing is more impressive in a Teams sales call than quickly annotating or scribbling on a PowerPoint presentation to emphasize a point,” he says. In project planning, inking supports real-time changes. During a Whiteboard session, participants can add ideas and adjust flowcharts without switching tools. Everyone stays engaged because the interaction is direct and visible. The Surface Slim Pen button can be set to open apps like OneNote or Whiteboard or launch capture tools. With one press, a user moves from thinking to doing. In-person work benefits as well. Drawing on a shared screen helps explain steps or review feedback without adding to the agenda. Teams can sketch a timeline, update a checklist, or approve changes on the spot, and visual ideas can be captured in real time. Precision productivity: achieving detailed control with Surface Pen The touchpads on Surface devices are designed to be highly responsive and accurate, but fine tasks may benefit from additional control only a pen can offer. The Surface Pen delivers that control, supporting designers, engineers, and professionals who work with detailed visuals. SungKi Park, IT & Integrated Communication Coordinator, integrates inking into both creative and business tasks. "I use the Surface Pen a lot for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator work," he says. "And for work, I use it for signing electronic documents." In Photoshop, the pressure-sensitive pen refines brush strokes and selections. In Illustrator, tilt functionality creates natural shading. Precision matters in everyday work, as well, whether signing contracts, marking up reports, or annotating documents. Mobility without compromise Work doesn’t happen in one place. It shifts between offices, airports, coffee shops, and meeting rooms. Sometimes, a different input method makes all the difference. Anand Narayanaswamy, a freelance writer and author, balances both touch and pen input flexibly to enable focused work in more places. "I use both the touchscreen and pen depending on the task," he says. "For instance, I use the pen for drawing in Paint, which helps me create stunning visuals." The pen's precision and ease of use make it ideal for quick sketches, annotations, and signing documents on the go. Switching between keyboard, touch, and pen keeps work moving. A quick note in OneNote during a call. A diagram in Whiteboard while waiting for a flight. A contract signed on the spot, no printer required. The Surface Slim Pen 2 makes portability seamless. It magnetically attaches to Surface Pro Signature Keyboard or Surface Laptop Studio, so it stays charged and in reach, providing up to 15 hours of battery life.[3] Technology made human Work takes many forms—structured notes, quick sketches, informal ideas jotted down between meetings. Inking empowers employees with more options to match the input method to the task. When pen, screen, and software are engineered to work together, the experience becomes seamless, whether capturing notes, collaborating on visual ideas, or just brainstorming. If you’re excited by the power of the pen to change how your teams work for the better, Surface provides a thoughtfully engineered set of features to maximize the value of the technology. Discover the latest Surface Pro devices for business to get started. [1] Handwriting but not typewriting leads to widespread brain connectivity: a high-density EEG study with implications for the classroom, Front. Psychol. , 25 January 2024, Sec. Educational Psychology, Volume 14 – 2023, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1219945 [2] Subscription required for some features. [3] Battery life varies significantly based on device configuration, usage, network and feature configuration, signal strength, settings, and other factors. Learn more about Surface battery performance for details.New Surface Laptop 5G for Business, Copilot+ PC
Stay securely connected with rearchitected 5G design — including six smart-switching antennas, eSIM and Wi-Fi 7 — without relying on hotspots. As the first Surface Laptop to feature 5G, it enables enterprise-ready AI features for deeper insights, productivity boosts, and powerful local inferencing wherever work happens. Stay connected anywhere. The first Surface laptop with built-in 5G — supporting NanoSIM, eSIM, smart signal switching, and international roaming. See it here. High-performance AI experiences. Surface Laptop 5G is powered by Intel Core Ultra processors with AI Boost. Watch here. No IT setup required. Surface Laptop 5G can arrive business-ready with zero-touch deployment and managed 5G policies. Check it out. QUICK LINKS: 00:00 — Surface Laptop 5G for Business 00:28 — Built-in 5G 01:30 — Hardware 02:06 — Intel® Core™ Ultra 02:41 — Built-in open-source AI models 03:20 — Management controls for IT 03:52 — Enterprise-Grade Security 04:16 — Wrap up Link References Check out https://surface.com/business Unfamiliar with Microsoft Mechanics? As Microsoft’s official video series for IT, you can watch and share valuable content and demos of current and upcoming tech from the people who build it at Microsoft. Subscribe to our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MicrosoftMechanicsSeries Talk with other IT Pros, join us on the Microsoft Tech Community: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-mechanics-blog/bg-p/MicrosoftMechanicsBlog Watch or listen from anywhere, subscribe to our podcast: https://microsoftmechanics.libsyn.com/podcast Keep getting this insider knowledge, join us on social: Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MSFTMechanics Share knowledge on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft-mechanics/ Enjoy us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msftmechanics/ Loosen up with us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@msftmechanics Video Transcript: -Surface Laptop 5G for Business with Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors brings together intelligent connectivity, ultra-fast performance, and premium design. It’s built for AI as a Copilot+ PC to deliver new, connected, on-device, and hybrid experiences, all while keeping your business data protected with enterprise-grade security. -Now, not all 5G laptops are created equal. Surface Laptop 5G supports both physical Nano and eSIM for flexibility to connect from anywhere. In fact, we’ve rearchitected Surface Laptop to optimize connectivity, while still maintaining the sleek and lightweight design. It’s been engineered from the ground up for optimal signal strength with a strategically-placed six-antenna array, along with a newly developed custom composite palm rest. This material and antenna placement helps ensure superior signal transparency so it’s not blocked by your desk or your legs. The signal dynamically switches between antennas based on how you interact with the device to ensure the strongest possible connection. -For example, whether you’re typing or using the touch pad, the 5G signal is routed to the least obstructed antennas. And as you move between spaces or locations during your day, you don’t need to worry about staying connected. There’s no need to connect to hotspots or untrusted networks because it’s designed to seamlessly transition between 5G and known Wi-Fi networks, and includes support for Wi-Fi 7. -Now, continuing our hardware tour, on the right side, you’ll see a Surface Connect port. This is positioned next to the removable NanoSIM tray. Then on the left side of the device, there are two USB-C Thunderbolt ports, a USB-A and a 3.5mm headphone port. Moving up the device, Surface Laptop 5G comes with a signature 3:2 aspect ratio, 13.8" PixelSense touch display. The screen is anti-reflective, and not only does it come with Dolby Vision IQ support, but it has an impressive dynamic refresh rate of up to 120Hz. -Next, let’s move on to what powers the Surface Laptop 5G for Business. This is the first Surface Copilot+ PC to support Intel with 5G and it comes with a choice of Intel Core Ultra 5 and 7 processors. It supports up to 32GB of memory on package and has integrated Intel Arc Graphics. The Intel AI Boost Neural Processing Unit, or NPU, is capable of running up to 48 TOPS without compromising battery life. And the device comes with up to one terabyte of M.2 Gen 4 SSD storage. All of this makes it optimized to run connected Copilot experiences, like powerful reasoning agents capable of generating deep insights with your work data, as well as the on-device foundational models from Windows AI Foundry. This includes 40 plus local and ready-to-use open source models like Phi Silica for text generation, built-in OCR for text recognition in images, super resolution to upscale images and video, image segmentation for background removal, and more. Your productivity experiences and factor-enhanced with AI, including improved Windows search, which combines keyword and vector-based search for more relevant results. -Next, let’s look at the enterprise-grade management controls for IT. Here, Microsoft Intune can be used to provision 5G connectivity with your network policies from the first time Surface Laptop connects to the internet, which helps ensure that only known and trusted networks can be connected to. Together with Windows Autopilot deployment, Surface Laptop 5G can be shipped directly to your workforce with your defined security policies and apps so that they’re business-ready before connecting to your managed resources. Surface Laptop 5G meets the Secured-core PC standard with a Microsoft Pluton security processor. Additionally, authentication with Windows Hello facial recognition benefits from enhanced sign-in security using virtualization. This is all part of Microsoft’s end-to-end, chip-to-cloud security that helps keep your information, devices, and users safe wherever they work from. -So that was a quick tour of how the new Surface Laptop 5G for Business was thoughtfully engineered to bring together intelligent connectivity, ultra-fast performance, and premium design. Check out surface.com/business for availability and more information. Thanks for watching.
