Flexible access
Support ad-hoc ordering capability for Surface devices as requirements changed across teams and departments.
Case study • Higher education technology
Enhancing educational technology with Surface devices
Altiatech supported Royal Holloway, University of London with a Surface for Education device bundle, helping the institution improve access to versatile, mobile and productivity-led technology for students, academic teams and staff.
Higher education
Surface devices
Microsoft productivity
Device standardisation
Overview
Supporting a university technology environment where learning, mobility and productivity all matter.
Royal Holloway, University of London needed a practical way to introduce modern Surface devices into its education environment, supporting students and staff with technology that could work across teaching, learning, content creation and day-to-day productivity.
Programme priorities
Device choice, flexible procurement and better support for modern learning.
The requirement was not just for hardware supply. Royal Holloway needed a device approach that could support ad-hoc ordering, bulk purchase value, consistent capabilities and the practical needs of a diverse higher education community.
Education value
Provide access to bulk purchase discounts and education pricing to improve value for money.
Modern learning
Enable devices that could support teaching, learning, digital inking, productivity and mobile working.
Operational consistency
Give IT teams a more consistent device capability to support, manage and standardise over time.
The challenge
Modern device expectations were increasing across the learning environment.
Royal Holloway wanted to strengthen its educational technology offering by introducing devices that were lightweight, versatile, durable and able to support a wide range of learning and teaching activities.
Ordering flexibility
The university needed the ability to place ad-hoc orders rather than rely only on one-off procurement cycles.
Bulk purchase value
The solution needed to give the institution access to cost-effective pricing for larger device requirements.
Learning versatility
Devices had to support different educational activities, learning styles and staff productivity needs.
IT manageability
A more consistent device approach would help simplify support, compatibility and operational management.
The core requirement: introduce technology that could be used flexibly across teaching, learning and productivity, while keeping purchasing and support practical for the institution.
Altiatech's role
Shaping a Surface for Education bundle that aligned device capability with university needs.
Altiatech proposed a comprehensive Surface for Education bundle, combining device options, accessories, warranty support and productivity capability into a practical technology package for the university.
Solution design
Surface for EducationFrom device supply to a usable education technology package.
The solution focused on giving Royal Holloway a set of Surface device configurations and supporting accessories that could be deployed across different learning and working scenarios.
Device options
Surface configurations were proposed across different processor, memory and storage options to support varied user needs.
Accessories
Supporting accessories, including Ethernet adapter options, helped extend the practical use of devices in campus environments.
Warranty support
Warranty options supported reliability and gave the institution stronger confidence around device lifecycle management.
Microsoft integration
Built-in support for Wi-Fi, Office 365 and OneDrive helped align devices with everyday university productivity workflows.
The approach
Combining mobility, input flexibility and productivity features into one education-ready device model.
The Surface for Education bundle was positioned around the needs of a modern learning environment: lightweight devices, touchscreen capability, digital pen input, keyboard and mouse support, collaboration tools and durable hardware design.
Mobile learning
Lightweight device design supported anytime, anywhere learning across lecture spaces, study areas and remote work.
Digital inking
Pen input and touchscreen capability added a practical layer for note-taking, annotation and content creation.
Productivity tools
Office 365 and OneDrive integration helped support collaboration, file access and student-staff interaction.
Durability
Durable casing and scratch-resistant glass helped support use in busy education settings.
Touch, keyboard, mouse and pen
Multiple input methods meant devices could support a wider range of teaching and learning preferences.
Laptop power in tablet form
The bundle gave users a portable format without removing the productivity features expected from a laptop-style device.
Education-focused purchasing
Bulk options and education pricing helped connect device capability with institutional budget control.
Outcomes
A more versatile device experience for teaching, learning and institutional productivity.
The Surface for Education bundle helped Royal Holloway take a practical step towards modernising its educational technology infrastructure, improving how students and educators could create, collaborate and work across learning environments.
Enhanced learning
Surface devices added a new dimension to teaching, learning and digital content creation.
Versatility
Devices supported varied learning styles, teaching methods and productivity use cases.
Mobility
Lightweight design and battery life helped support on-the-go learning and flexible work.
Collaboration
Microsoft productivity integration supported interaction between students, educators and teams.
Impact: Royal Holloway gained a more flexible, standardised and productivity-ready device model that could support modern teaching and learning requirements.
Connected services
Related Altiatech capabilities for higher education, device modernisation and productivity support.
This case study connects to Altiatech services that help organisations improve end-user technology, Microsoft productivity, cloud foundations and ongoing support.
End User & Productivity
Support Microsoft 365, devices, collaboration, secure working and AI-enabled productivity.
Managed Services
Run and improve IT services with clearer ownership, reporting and operational support.
Cloud & AI Enablement
Prepare Microsoft cloud foundations, governance and readiness for modern ways of working.
Public Sector
Support education and public sector buyers with clearer scoping, procurement and controlled delivery.
Talk to Altiatech
Planning a device, productivity or education technology project?
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