Accelerate AI-Ready Productivity with Microsoft Surface Laptops and CDW

As AI becomes more embedded in everyday workflows such as content creation, data analysis and even real-time collaboration, the underlying hardware will also need an upgrade.

Running localized AI models using traditional CPUs alone can often cause performance bottlenecks. At the same time, users may not fully understand the security implications of a certain AI application, leading to security risks.

To address these realities, organizations need devices with expanded capabilities, such as:

• Sensitive information protection against evolving threats
• Hardware for handling AI-powered workloads smoothly
• Support for hybrid and remote work models
• Intuitive and seamless employee experiences

By integrating these features into the device experience, organizations can benefit more from AI while building a solid foundation for more advanced use cases.

Microsoft Surface laptops are designed to offer a secure and integrated AI experience for modern employees. Here are five key features of these devices and how they can help employees.

Surface laptops come with a complete AI-ready ecosystem that spans the operating system, hardware, cloud and apps. From the Microsoft 365 productivity suite to native functionalities of Windows 11, the entire ecosystem is compatible with Microsoft Copilot, offering a connected AI experience.

How it helps employees
Workers get a frictionless AI experience inside the apps they already use daily, like Microsoft Teams, Outlook and Word. They can ask Copilot to draft emails, summarize meetings or automate repetitive tasks in a secure environment, all without switching tools or breaking workflows.

The data from their business accounts can be securely accessed by Copilot and processed without security risks. This improves the accuracy, context and performance of AI-assisted responses, which are enabled by a connected ecosystem.

Simpler device management for IT teams
By standardizing on an AI-ready ecosystem, IT teams can ensure employees use managed, secure tools instead of turning to risky, non-approved apps. Surface laptops are already supported by enterprise management tools like Intune and Azure Active Directory.

This boosts productivity, enhances compliance and gives IT teams more confidence that data is handled responsibly.

Surface devices come with dedicated neural processing units (NPUs) designed to run AI models directly on the device. NPUs are optimized for low-latency, energy-efficient AI processing, allowing AI to run locally without needing constant cloud access.

How it helps employees
Employees can benefit from faster, more responsive features like automatic framing, portrait blur, live captions and voice focus during meetings. Tasks such as real-time translation or document summarization happen instantly, even offline.

At the same time, an NPU helps boost device performance for AI tasks such as image generation, image-to-video or document creation. The local NPU support ensures employees can get the most out of AI apps.

Improved on-device performance
Local AI processing reduces bandwidth costs, improves resilience for employees in low-connectivity environments and supports compliance. Organizations can enable a dependable AI experience for employees that is offline-ready and matches cloud-level performance locally.

It also future-proofs organizations as AI workloads continue to grow in volume and complexity.

Surface laptops employ AI-driven battery optimization (e.g., Battery Protection Mode) to extend device life while maintaining high performance. Driven by OS optimization and NPU architecture, Surface laptops offer longer-lasting battery capacity by increasing power efficiency.

How it helps employees
This helps hybrid employees who use their laptop both in the office and from home. They can easily go through a full day of video calls, content creation and note-taking on a single charge.

This ensures reliable power during long workdays filled with meetings, travel or multitasking.

Ensuring reliable performance
Longer battery life reduces dependency on charging infrastructure and helps employees stay engaged during critical moments, like client meetings. For IT teams, it also extends overall device longevity, lowering refresh and maintenance costs.

Surface laptops are designed with lightweight builds, touch screen versatility and optional 5G connectivity. Their flexible form factor can be converted into a keyboard laptop, handheld tablet or a pen and touch screen easily.

How it helps employees
Whether in the office, at home or on the go, employees can collaborate and create without compromise. A designer can sketch directly on-screen, a consultant can stay connected via 5G during travel and a sales executive can present seamlessly in client meetings.

Employees can use Surface devices as traditional laptops or take advantage of flexible form factors that support pen input and tablet-style use.

Enabling flexible device choices
Portability and connectivity ensure that employees are not constrained by geography. This enables faster decision-making, better client engagement and uninterrupted productivity in hybrid or field-based roles.

For decision-makers, it supports talent retention by giving employees tools that fit flexible lifestyles.

Surface laptops integrate the Microsoft Pluton security processor, which provides chip-to-cloud protection by safeguarding credentials, identities and sensitive data at the hardware level. Combined with Windows security features, this supports a zero-touch approach.

The design tightens security across the chip, the OS and the cloud services, allowing for improved data controls and resolving potential security threats.

How it helps employees
Employees can log in securely with Windows Hello facial recognition, work confidently knowing their data is protected and avoid disruptions from malware or phishing attempts.

The integrated security approach also helps defend against data breaches by bolstering endpoint security. It lowers the chances of a data leak due to AI misuse, which is a top concern among enterprise AI applications.

Mitigating AI security risks
A strong focus on security helps resolve AI risks and allows workers to confidently use AI for improving productivity. From an organization's standpoint, it's critical to lay a secure device foundation for responsible and safe use of AI.

IT teams can be assured that devices comply with modern security standards, reducing risk exposure and supporting responsible AI usage. This translates into fewer incidents, lower remediation costs and stronger customer trust.

While employees are eager to adopt AI, user trust and training remain critical. CDW’s Modern Workspace Report shows that comfort levels with AI rise significantly when organizations provide work-approved tools, policies and training.

This is where trusted partners like CDW can make a difference by enabling Canadian organizations to chart their AI strategy.

Microsoft partner expertise

CDW Canada works closely with Microsoft as a Platinum-certified Surface partner and Azure Expert Managed Service Provider (MSP), giving organizations access to deep technical expertise and alignment with Microsoft’s roadmap.

This partnership ensures that Surface devices are not just delivered as hardware but as part of a secure, integrated modern workplace strategy.

Windows Autopilot support

Through tools like Windows Autopilot, CDW helps organizations streamline device deployment. Surface laptops purchased through CDW are Autopilot-ready, meaning they can be shipped directly to employees preconfigured with organizational policies, Microsoft 365 apps and security settings.

Device lifecycle management

Beyond deployment, CDW supports the entire lifecycle of Surface devices. Services such as endpoint management, firmware updates and the Surface Management Portal simplify how organizations provision, secure and maintain their devices.

As AI adoption accelerates, now is the time to equip teams with laptops designed for the modern workplace. With Surface devices and expert partners like CDW, organizations can bridge the gap between employee needs and business outcomes.