Microsoft's Surface tablet is an important element in its plan to reinvent itself as a
devices and services company — but while Microsoft has been steadily rolling out its Surface tablet and
related offerings, has the pace been fast enough?
It's been nearly a year since the first Surface tablet went on sale, but rather than a big bang, it seems Microsoft has gently introduced its new hardware to the world by
adding new markets on a piecemeal basis, and moving away from its initial direct sales model, where everything was inhouse, to one where the
occasional reseller is also given the chance to sell a few units.
Right now, for example, Surface is only available from Microsoft direct, John Lewis, Currys or PC World in the UK. Resellers (through which a most enterprises will buy) are still waiting the go ahead to sell it.
Microsoft told ZDNet that is is taking a "measured and phased approach to the growth of the Surface business in order to meet customer demand and partner expectations".