Microsoft Will Expand Surface Tablet Distribution But Delay Surface Hub

It's been a long time since Microsoft has operated from a position of strength. The company always seems to be in catchup mode behind the likes of Apple, Google, and others. But, if you happened to hear the Surface product news from WPC 2015 today, it seems Microsoft may be working on new ground.

During the close to 4 hour keynote on Monday, Terry Myerson provided new information about Microsoft's plans to expand the business channel for Surface Pro 3 and Surface 3 tablets. Currently, these devices are only available through around 100 partner channels. Later this year, Microsoft will be opening up the channel, giving over 1,000 partners globally the opportunity to deliver and service these devices.

The company has touted its new vision of delivering Windows 10 for over a billion devices, and this is another avenue used to help accomplish that goal.

However, and what did not get a mention during today's WPC keynote (there's another on one Wednesday), is that Surface Hub availability is still in limbo. Obviously, the company wanted to pin the highlights to its inaugural WPC keynote to supply an emotional connection with the 12,000 partner attendees, and finding out that Surface Hub delivery will be delayed would tarnish the message slightly. The keynote crew of Satya Nadella, Terry Myerson, Julia White, Scott Guthrie, and John Case, orchestrated a masterful, heartfelt look at what Microsoft is and has delivered, not what it hasn't yet.

Pre-orders for Surface Hub started on July 1, but Microsoft is saying that it will be at least August before it can provide more information on shipping details, though it's set a September 1 hopeful date. It's possible the delay has a bit to do with Windows 10 not quite being fined-tuned for the massive, collaborative business devices, but Microsoft suggests that the delay is due to surprising early interest and that must retool the manufacturing process to meet the demand.