AT&T first to introduce Microsoft Surface in retail stores
18 April 2008
Telecommunications provider AT&T and technology software provider Microsoft have teamed up to debut Microsoft Surface. Under the terms of the deal, AT&T will be the first company to house this new type of computer in a retail environment.
Microsoft Surface is a 30-inch table-like display that gives individuals or multiple people the opportunity to interact with devices and content in a way that feels familiar - by using touch, gestures and placement of devices on the display. In essence, it's a surface come to life for exploring, learning, sharing, creating, buying and much more.
AT&T plans to harness the power of Surface to provide its retail store visitors with unique opportunities to learn about the growing universe of mobile applications and devices. The interactive touch displays, which will work without a traditional mouse or keyboard, will allow customers to:
- Learn: Customers can review features of a particular mobile device by simply placing it on the display. Surface will recognize the device and provide a graphical overview of its capabilities. Customers will be able to place two devices side by side on the unit and easily compare their features.
- Explore: Customers view interactive coverage maps at the national, state, local or street level, using simple touch and hand movement to scale and move the maps, determining their coverage area.
- Customize: In the future, customers will be able to drag and drop ring tones, graphics, video and more by ''grabbing'' content with their hands from a menu on the display and ''dropping'' it into the phone.
In addition to these features, AT&T and Microsoft will continue to collaborate on new and innovative ways to expand Surface capabilities in AT&T stores.
On 1 April, the two industry leaders had announced a collaborative alliance to transform the way consumers shop for mobile devices. AT&T will become the first company in the world to bring Microsoft Surface to life in a retail environment, giving customers the ability to explore their mobile worlds using touch and device recognition technology.
Microsoft Surface is the first commercially available surface computer from Microsoft. From now onwards customers can experience Microsoft Surface at select AT&T retail locations. At&T will plan further expansion across its 2200 retail stores in the US, based on the success and its experience from these initial pilot deployments.
