14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just announced SSD commercial spares for the Surface Pro 7+, a device specifically aimed at businesses and launched earlier this year.
With this upgrade, companies can purchase SSD kits that allow IT admins to replace the storage in a Surface Pro+ in a matter of minutes and without paying for professional services.
Currently available in the United States exclusively, the kits come with a single certified refurbished SSD and the necessary screws, with capacities starting at 128 GB and ending at 1TB.
Keep in mind, however, that the SSD kits are only available for the Surface Pro 7+ and are not aimed at other Surface devices.
“We designed the kits to facilitate data retention and enable IT to restore devices to productive use as quickly as possible. If an employee encounters issues that are related back to the SSD, the IT admin can replace the machine’s SSD in a matter of minutes saving time and money. At this time, the kits cover Surface Pro 7+ only and will not work for Surface Pro X or Surface Laptop Go,” Microsoft explains.
Third-party upgrades not recommended
In theory, IT admins can always purchase an SSD separately and thus upgrade the storage capacity of the Surface Pro 7. Microsoft, however, strongly recommends against this third-party upgrade, warning of possible compatibility issues.
“While technically possible, Microsoft strongly discourages users from installing an SSD that has not been tested for your device configuration. Microsoft takes measures to ensure product quality and tests the hardware configurations offered for sale. Installing a non-Microsoft or a Microsoft SSD of different volume than the one provided originally may lead to reduced performance and unsupported configurations,” the company says.
Customers who want to purchase an SSD kit just need to reach out to regional resellers or Surface specialists, with Microsoft explaining that expanded availability would be announced soon.