SEESA is a consulting firm that provides legal and training support for businesses across South Africa.

For more than 20 years now, the company has helped countless South African organisations with legal and business matters that run the gamut from industrial relations to employment equity.

The Challenge

SEESA’s clients are located all over South Africa, and they are visited by SEESA consultants on a regular basis.

Since SEESA moved their business environment online, consultants required portable smart devices to access all of SEESA’s online documentation when visiting those clients.

Unfortunately, the devices SEESA had initially selected for that purpose – Samsung tablets – proved not to be cost effective. Neither did they have the required functionality to properly support consultants in their day-to-day tasks.

SEESA had long been using Velocity Group for all of their IT needs, and when SEESA enlisted Velocity’s help in finding a more appropriate device to replace the Samsung tablets, they were introduced to Microsoft Surface tablets by their Account Executive.

Velocity Group Steps In

The Velocity Group is an experienced and independent provider of IT solutions to the South African ICT sector. Jonathan Kropf, The Velocity Group’s CEO, says the company was only too happy to step in and help SEESA address their device challenge.

“When we heard what SEESA was looking for in a replacement device, it immediately occurred to us to recommend Microsoft’s excellent Surface Go 2. Knowing SEESA’s business as we do, and the Go 2’s capabilities, we knew it would be a good match,” Kropf says.

Once SEESA’s requirements were known, a demo unit of the Surface Go 2 device was provided to the company so they could conduct their own internal suitability testing.

The Solution

Microsoft’s Surface Go 2 is a full Windows 10 PC in a 2-in-1 form factor. It can be used like a regular laptop computer, and as a tablet thanks to its touchscreen and handy 2-in-1 design.

Three elements of the Surface Go 2’s design proved to be key in helping SEESA decide to go with it.

Firstly, the fact that the Go 2 runs the full desktop version of Windows 10 Pro meant that it integrated easily into SEESA’s existing Microsoft environment, and could therefore be managed like every other Windows 10 desktop or notebook computer in the business.

Second, the Surface Go 2 could be used like other laptops. This gave SEESA the necessary confidence that they could be easily deployed inside the business without any special considerations.

Third, the compact design and robust construction of the Surface Go 2 made it the ideal travel companion for consultants who spend a lot of time on the road, as the form factor is easy to work with and its durability meant the device was resistant to knocks and scrapes.

Thanks to Velocity Group’s insights into SEESA’s needs and their deep knowledge and understanding of Microsoft Surface Go 2 devices, the demo unit 100% hit of its targets and SEESA placed their order.

Business Benefits

“What made the Surface Go 2 the far superior option for us was the fact that it’s a Windows 10 Pro device,” says Paul Venter, National IT Manager at SEESA. “SEESA only runs Microsoft software, and the Surface Go 2 was therefore able to slot into our existing IT environment without any hassle.

“Right away, we were easily able to incorporate the devices into all of our existing systems, including our in-house applications, security, and management tools.”

Happy Users

Venter says that all feedback on the devices from end users has been positive, with particular praise lavished on the Surface Go 2’s sleek design, its responsive and bright touchscreen, and its performance in the field. But even more importantly, because SEESA’s users were already so familiar with Windows 10, there was no need to retrain anyone.

“Thanks to Velocity Group’s insight and hard work, our users and IT are extremely happy with the result. Ultimately, the transition to Surface Go 2 tablets truly has been a case of ‘plug and play’ in the truest sense,” concludes Venter.

Meeting Customer Needs Though Understanding

“At Velocity Group, we pride ourselves on understanding our customers’ needs first and foremost, so we always listen closely to what it is they’re trying to achieve,” adds Kropf.

“In SEESA’s case we saw that they needed cost-effective devices that performed well, worked inside their software environment, and which could help their consultants with their day-to-day tasks, and Microsoft’s Surface Go 2 ticked all of those boxes and more.

“We were only too glad to help, and we look forward to assisting SEESA with any future IT needs they may have”, concludes Kropf.