Modern devices are essential for frontline industries like retail and healthcare because they reduce downtime, strengthen security, and make it easier for staff to access the apps and data they need in the moment. Replacing aging PCs with secure, AI‑ready hardware is one of the fastest ways to improve both employee and customer experiences.
Across retail and healthcare, the same pain point keeps showing up: staff are asked to deliver fast, personalized service while working on slow, unreliable, or unsupported PCs. A 2025 Lakeside Software study found that employees lose an average of 54 minutes per day to technology friction, with aging hardware a primary cause. Over a year, that’s roughly 22 working days per employee lost to waiting for machines to catch up. For a 50‑person frontline team, that adds up to more than 1,000 days of productivity gone.
Outdated devices also create real security risk. Support for Windows 10 ends on October 14, 2025. After that, devices that stay on Windows 10 will no longer receive security and feature updates. For organizations that handle payment data, PHI, or sensitive customer information, that gap increases exposure to ransomware, data theft, and compliance failures.
Healthcare is already seeing the impact of legacy technology. One recent analysis found 162 new vulnerabilities across internet‑connected medical devices, with 993 vulnerabilities identified across 966 devices from 117 vendors. Even more worrying, 99% of surveyed healthcare organizations had devices with known exploited vulnerabilities, and over half of connected medical devices ran on Windows with little or no malware protection. When outdated endpoints sit alongside modern systems, attackers often use those weak links as an entry point into the wider environment.
Retail runs into similar issues: aging point‑of‑sale and back‑office PCs are harder to patch, may not support modern endpoint protection, and often lack hardware‑based security like TPM 2.0 or Pluton. At the same time, retailers are rolling out cloud‑based inventory tools, workforce apps, and AI‑driven analytics that assume more modern device capabilities.
All of this lands squarely on your employees. Slow boot times, frequent crashes, and flaky Wi‑Fi on old laptops make every task—from checking a price to opening an EMR—take longer than it should. That delay shows up as longer queues, shorter visit times, and staff burnout. Modern devices are no longer a "nice to have"; they are a prerequisite for delivering the experiences your customers and patients now expect.
Modern devices in retail help tackle rising employee turnover by giving associates fast, mobile tools that make it easier to serve customers, access product information, and feel confident on the sales floor. When staff are equipped with light, secure tablets and laptops that connect seamlessly to line‑of‑business apps, both engagement and conversion rates improve.
In stores, the best place your people can be is on the shop floor, not tied to a back‑office PC waiting for a system to load. Devices like Surface Go and Surface Pro are built for this environment: they’re light enough to carry all shift, powerful enough to run business‑critical software, and ruggedized with optional durable cases. Associates can look up stock across locations, check promotions, and pull up recommendations from a retail app while standing next to the customer.
The experience is very different from the old model of "let me go check in the back." With a 10.5" or 12–13" PixelSense touchscreen, associates can show promotional images, cross‑sell bundles, or compare colors and sizes on‑screen in seconds. Using Surface Pen, they can capture customer e‑signatures and go paperless for special orders or loyalty program enrollment.
Connectivity also matters. Optional 5G on select Surface models means managers can stay productive across large store footprints or multi‑tenant complexes, even when Wi‑Fi coverage is patchy. For regional managers, Surface Pro 10 5G or Surface Laptop gives them a full desktop‑class machine that travels easily between stores, warehouses, and home offices.
Retailers are layering AI on top of these devices to further help associates. Using Microsoft 365 Copilot on Surface, a sales floor employee can summarize the day’s promotion brief in seconds, draft follow‑up emails to VIP customers, or ask natural‑language questions like, "What products in my department had the highest returns last month and why?" The on‑device neural processing units (NPUs) in the latest Surface Copilot+ PCs can accelerate these experiences with 40–48 TOPS of AI performance, keeping sensitive data processed locally where appropriate.
The net result is a more engaging role for employees. Instead of fighting slow terminals, they’re equipped with tools that feel premium and responsive. That can help reduce frustration and turnover, while customers enjoy faster service, clearer communication on promotions, and a more personalized experience.
Modern devices in healthcare support nurses, mobile caregivers, physicians, and administrators with secure, mobile tools that keep them connected to EMRs, imaging, and care teams—whether they’re at the bedside, on the move in the hospital, or working from home. The goal is simple: make the technology disappear so clinicians can focus on patients.
Healthcare organizations are under pressure from every direction: rising patient expectations, telehealth growth, clinician burnout, and a projected shortage of 10 million healthcare workers by 2030. Many are responding by pairing cloud strategies with modern device strategies, standardizing on secure, mobile PCs that work seamlessly with Microsoft 365 and specialized clinical applications.
Dynacare, for example, deployed Surface Pro and Surface Laptop devices across their organization to give employees flexibility and better security without disrupting existing tools. Their Director of Technical Solutions and Information Security called Surface "the best option because of total cost of ownership, the life of the device, the quality of the device, and the integrations." That combination of reliability and security is critical when devices are used to access lab systems and sensitive patient data.
Nurses and mobile caregivers benefit from lightweight 2‑in‑1s like Surface Go 4 and Surface Pro. They can move from room to room with a tablet‑style device, check patients in, review medication lists, and capture notes or consent forms with digital ink. Extended battery life helps them get through a shift without hunting for outlets, while NFC readers and Windows Hello provide fast, secure sign‑in—even in shared‑device scenarios.
Physicians and virtual care teams often need more performance. Devices like Surface Pro 10 5G or Surface Laptop can run imaging viewers, telehealth platforms, and productivity apps concurrently without lag. High‑resolution PixelSense displays make it easier to review x‑rays or MRIs with patients. Studio‑quality cameras, far‑field mics, and Omnisonic speakers mean telehealth calls feel more natural and professional, even from home offices.
Large‑format devices such as Surface Hub 3 extend this modern device strategy into meeting rooms and clinical collaboration spaces. A 50" or 85" 4K touchscreen combined with Microsoft Teams and Surface Hub Smart Camera allows care teams in different locations to whiteboard treatment plans in real time, review complex imaging, or conduct multi‑disciplinary case conferences.
Under the hood, these healthcare‑ready devices are designed for regulated environments: they support secure single sign‑on, integrate with identity tools like Microsoft Entra, and can be managed centrally via Intune. Certified integrations with solutions like Imprivata Enterprise Access Management on select models help streamline tap‑and‑go workflows.
AI-ready Surface devices combine modern hardware (including NPUs), Windows 11, and Microsoft 365 Copilot to bring practical AI into everyday work for frontline and clinical staff. Instead of treating AI as a separate project, organizations can surface it directly in the tools people already use.
The latest Surface Pro and Surface Laptop Copilot+ PCs include dedicated NPUs delivering up to 40–48 trillion operations per second of on‑device AI performance. That means tasks like background noise suppression, automatic framing on video calls, or live transcription can run locally, improving responsiveness and helping keep sensitive content on the device when possible.
For retail staff, Copilot can turn long product guides and training decks into concise summaries, draft shift handover notes, or answer questions like, "Explain our return policy in a way a new hire can understand." Store managers can ask, "Summarize last week’s sales trends by category from my latest Excel report" and get an answer in seconds instead of manually crunching numbers.
In healthcare, clinicians can use Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat to search across emails, Teams messages, and documents: "Show me my last three discharge summaries for patients with similar conditions" or "Draft a follow‑up message with key home‑care instructions based on this visit note." While clinical decision‑making always remains with the provider, AI can reduce time spent on routine documentation and communication.
These AI experiences are complemented by collaboration features built into Surface devices. High‑end cameras with Windows Studio Effects keep faces well lit and centered; beamforming mics focus on the speaker; and quality speakers make it easier to understand patients or colleagues in noisy environments. The new Copilot key on Surface keyboards provides one‑touch access to AI assistance, encouraging adoption in day‑to‑day workflows.
The key is that AI is no longer confined to specialized teams or back‑office analysts. With the right devices, every associate, nurse, or manager can access AI capabilities that help them work faster and more accurately, without compromising on security or compliance.
Chip-to-cloud security means building protection into every layer of the device and cloud stack, from the CPU and firmware to the operating system, identity, and management tools. For retail and healthcare organizations that handle sensitive data, this architecture is crucial.
Most modern Surface for Business devices start with hardware‑rooted security: TPM 2.0 or Microsoft Pluton security processors create a secure enclave for credentials and keys. Pluton, integrated directly into the CPU on newer Copilot+ PCs, makes it harder for attackers to access secrets even if they gain physical access to the device.
On top of this, Windows 11 enables capabilities like virtualization‑based security (VBS) and Hypervisor‑protected Code Integrity (HVCI) out of the box. These features isolate sensitive processes from the main OS, reducing the impact of common malware and kernel‑level exploits. BitLocker drive encryption protects data at rest, including on lost or stolen devices.
Microsoft writes its own UEFI firmware for Surface and exposes it to IT through tools like Surface Enterprise Management Mode (SEMM) and Device Firmware Configuration Interface (DFCI). This lets you remotely enforce settings such as disabling USB boot, turning off cameras in sensitive areas, or locking down networking options—all before the OS even loads.
Identity and access are handled through Microsoft Entra and Windows Hello for Business. Frontline staff can sign in with facial recognition, PIN, NFC badge, or multi‑factor authentication, which is especially important in shared‑device scenarios in clinics and busy retail stores. Conditional Access policies can ensure that only compliant, encrypted, and healthy devices can access critical apps like EMRs or POS systems.
From there, Intune and the Surface Management Portal provide centralized visibility and control. IT can push security baselines, monitor device health, and trigger remote wipe for lost or stolen devices. Built‑in Modern Standby helps devices stay updated with security patches even while they appear "asleep," reducing the window of vulnerability.
This layered model helps directly address the vulnerabilities seen in many healthcare and retail environments. Rather than trying to bolt security onto legacy hardware, organizations can move to a platform that was designed from day one for constant connectivity, mobile work, and AI.
Zero-touch deployment allows organizations to ship devices directly to stores, clinics, or home offices, where users simply unbox, sign in, and start working. For IT teams managing hundreds or thousands of endpoints across regions, this can dramatically reduce deployment time and hands‑on effort.
Windows Autopilot is at the heart of this experience. Surface devices can be pre‑registered to your tenant so that, when they connect to the internet for the first time, they automatically enroll in Intune, receive the right configuration profiles, and install required apps. There’s no need for traditional imaging or manual setup in a central IT depot.
In a retail rollout, that means new Surface Go or Surface Pro devices can be shipped straight to each store. Associates boot up, sign in with their organizational account, and within minutes have access to POS apps, inventory systems, and communication tools like Microsoft Teams. Regional IT staff can track status from a central console instead of visiting each location.
In healthcare, zero‑touch deployment simplifies onboarding of new clinics, telehealth teams, or mobile care programs. Surface devices can be preconfigured with EMR clients, secure VPNs if needed, and clinical collaboration apps. When staff turn them on, they see an environment that already reflects their role, reducing training time and setup friction.
Management doesn’t stop at deployment. Using Intune and the Surface Management Portal, IT can:
Purpose‑built tools like Surface Diagnostic Toolkit for Business help resolve hardware and configuration issues quickly, whether devices are in the same building or across the country. That’s especially important when frontline teams depend on those devices to see patients or serve customers.
Windows 10 end of support on October 14, 2025, is a hard deadline for security updates, making it an ideal trigger to modernize frontline hardware with Surface and Windows 11. Planning now helps you avoid last‑minute scrambles, higher costs, and increased risk.
Some organizations consider buying extra time through Extended Security Updates (ESU), but that can quickly become expensive. Guidance from industry analysts notes ESU pricing that starts in the tens of dollars per device per year and doubles annually, meaning costs rise steeply the longer you delay. Meanwhile, outdated hardware still drags down productivity and remains harder to manage.
A structured plan should start with an inventory of current devices by department and role. Identify which endpoints are tied to mission‑critical workflows—nurse carts, pharmacy stations, store POS terminals, warehouse handhelds—and prioritize those for early replacement. Check application compatibility with Windows 11, using resources like Microsoft’s App Assure program where needed.
Next, define standard device configurations for key personas. For example, in retail you might standardize on Surface Go 4 for associates, Surface Pro for managers, and Surface Laptop for corporate staff. In healthcare, nurses might use Surface Go 4 or Pro, physicians might get Surface Pro 10 5G or Surface Laptop, and administrators could work on Surface Laptop or Surface Laptop Studio for heavier workloads.
Run pilot deployments with a handful of stores or clinical units first. Use these pilots to validate Wi‑Fi coverage, docking setups, peripheral compatibility, and user training materials. Capture feedback from frontline staff on ergonomics, battery life, and application performance, then fine‑tune configurations.
From there, you can scale using Windows Autopilot and centralized management. Aim to complete most of the transition before the Windows 10 deadline to avoid overlapping old and new environments for too long. Communicate clearly with teams about the "why"—better performance, stronger security, and access to new AI tools—so the change feels like an upgrade rather than an imposition.
Choosing the right Surface device for each persona ensures that staff get enough performance and connectivity without overspending on unneeded features. Start by mapping roles to a small number of standard profiles that cover most of your frontline.
In retail, sales associates benefit from compact 2‑in‑1 devices like Surface Go 4, which start at around 1.15 lb and can run core retail and communication apps with all‑day battery life. The 10.5" touchscreen is ideal for quick lookups and customer‑facing demos. For store or district managers, Surface Pro or Surface Pro 10 5G offers a larger 12–13" display, laptop‑class performance, and optional 5G for constant connectivity when moving between locations.
Corporate retail teams and executives often prefer clamshell laptops. Surface Laptop combines a sleek, ultra‑thin design with options for 13", 13.8", or 15" PixelSense Flow touchscreens and long battery life. For data‑heavy roles, the larger models with more RAM and storage can handle complex reporting and analytics dashboards.
In healthcare, nurses and mobile caregivers typically need highly mobile devices that are easy to disinfect and ruggedize. Surface Go 4 with tough cases and Surface Pro with flexible keyboards and pen support fit well here. Physicians who frequently review imaging or conduct telehealth may favor Surface Pro 10 5G for its performance and mobility or Surface Laptop for a more traditional form factor with powerful CPUs and NPUs.
Hospital administrators and executives often work with large financial models, dashboards, and strategic decks. Surface Laptop provides a comfortable, portable daily driver, while Surface Laptop Studio 2 can handle more demanding graphics‑intensive applications if needed, along with pen‑enabled note‑taking on a 14.4" display.
For collaboration spaces, Surface Hub 3 turns conference rooms and huddle areas into interactive teamwork hubs where clinical and retail leadership teams can brainstorm, review metrics, or conduct hybrid meetings with remote participants.
By standardizing on a small set of Surface profiles mapped to clear personas, you simplify procurement, training, and support. At the same time, your employees gain modern, AI‑ready, and secure tools that help them spend less time wrestling with technology and more time serving customers and patients.