Surface may be "available to all Aussie resellers": report

Microsoft may offer it's entire Australian channel the opportunity to sell Surface, according to a report.

The claims were apparently made in a blog post by a senior exec from distie NewLease, however, the blog post has since been removed.

According to a story on ZDNet US, Stephen Parker, NewLease's head of cloud strategy, was attending a recent Microsoft event in the US, and wrote: "I'm over in Redmond for various meetings with Microsoft. At one of the meetings this morning (Monday 7th) it was confirmed that as of today ALL Australian Microsoft resellers will be able to buy Microsoft Surface devices through distribution channels (Ingram, Synnex).

"This is an extension of the earlier program with a limited set of 13 'authorised resellers'. Australia is being used as the pilot geography by Microsoft."

NewLease would not comment when contacted by CRN.

Microsoft Australia would not confirm or deny the claims.

A spokesperson told CRN: "As of 1 October, we have implemented our commercial channel expansion plan, making Surface available commercially in all 29 markets where we are currently in retail.

"We are taking a measured approach to expanding commercial channel availability for Surface in an effort to provide the best possible experience for our customers. We have nothing further to share at this time."

Microsoft has been regulating distribution of Surface devices since the devices launched in October 2012. The company initially sold it exclusively online, only partnering with retailers JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman in the lead up to Christmas in an effort to turn around weak sales.

On 12 September – almost a year after the original Surface was released – the company announced it would offer Surface devices through two distributors and 13 resellers in Australia. Microsoft adopted the same strategy in overseas markets where only a limited number of resellers were authorised to sell its Surface products.

The shake-up to Microsoft's distribution comes less than a fortnight before the release of Microsoft's next generation of Surface devices.

Microsoft confirmed its select two distributors and 13 reseller partners will be offering Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 when the tablets are launched on 22 October.