Microsoft Surface devices powered by Snapdragon® to boost learning and productivity.
Microsoft Intune makes the management of the device rollout so easy, and we can centrally manage the process and software. Combined with the support from Data#3, it’s been a real time-saver and a great example of what the right partnership can achieve.
Afzal Shariff - Director of IT and Services, Canterbury College.
As the student and teacher devices at Canterbury College neared their renewal period, the school aimed to adopt technology that would further boost learning productivity and enhance classroom capabilities.
As a Microsoft Lighthouse School, Canterbury College was already using Microsoft Surface devices and valued the exceptional support they had received. Maintaining this high level of service was a key priority. Equally important was the College’s strong, award-winning partnership with Data#3, a trusted Microsoft Partner with whom they had an established and successful relationship.
Set on a modern campus in Waterford, Queensland, Canterbury College guides more than 1,500 students from kindergarten to year 12. With a focus on balancing academic, sporting and artistic excellence with student wellbeing, Canterbury College is the leading private school in the Logan City region.
The school’s device program plays an important role in this excellence. When existing devices were due for renewal, the college considered carefully what path would offer students and teachers the best experience.
In the modern classroom, having the right device offers students and teachers important advantages in terms of productivity, innovation, and experience. Canterbury College carefully chose a device as a service solution powered by Snapdragon® X Series and Microsoft Surface technology, delivering a seamless blend of performance, battery life, and versatility tailored for modern learning. As a Microsoft Lighthouse School, Canterbury College was already part of an exclusive cohort of Australian schools using Microsoft Surface technology in innovative ways and committed to future-focused teaching and learning. When the time came to consider upgrades, Director of IT and Services, Afzal Shariff said there was a clear favourite.
“As one of 24 Microsoft Lighthouse schools worldwide, we believe in providing the best tools for teaching and learning, and for us, that means using Surface devices, powered by Snapdragon. While our Lighthouse status only requires up to 60% of our devices to be from Microsoft, we’ve chosen full consistency so that all of our students and teachers benefit from the same high-quality experience.”
Over the previous three years, the school’s experience with Surface devices has been very positive. Students have leveraged features such as touchscreens, digital pens, and detachable keyboards to seamlessly transition between collaborative projects and traditional assignments. While replacing these devices would be a hard act to follow, Shariff recognised that emerging technologies such as AI made it essential to stay ahead of the curve.
“Technology changes rapidly, so a three-year refresh is needed to keep up with software changes and new learning opportunities. We factor that in. After three years of daily use, being opened, closed and used in every lesson, the device has served its purpose well. It’s definitely a heavily used learning tool,” explained Shariff.
The service and support options on offer for the Surface devices, powered by Snapdragon, have also worked well for the school, which works closely with Microsoft to operate a sparing program to minimise any disruption to students and teachers.
“We have IDP accidental damage protection, so that if there is a damaged machine, we send it back to Microsoft and have a replacement straight away. We can make up to three damage claims in three years.”
When considering device updates, the school identified five key criteria that the chosen devices must meet: exceptional performance, long battery life, reliable support, design and portability, and versatility. The clear front-runner was the Surface Pro 11 device with Snapdragon technology, which offered exceptional battery life, ultimate portability and the performance benefits of a modern Windows on Snapdragon architecture.
Still, Shariff wanted to ensure compatibility with essential applications on the Snapdragon-powered device.
“It’s important that devices must support seamless multitasking and handle demanding educational applications. Extended battery performance is also critical to support students during the school day without interruption,” commented Shariff.
As part of the evaluation process, the school tested their key applications on the new, updated devices. They only found one or two that needed simple adjustments, and the Windows on Snapdragon Surface devices ultimately proved to be a strong fit for both students and teachers.
Following a technology review, Canterbury College selected Data#3’s Modern Management Solution to support the refresh of 440 staff and student devices. The solution featured Surface Pro 11 Windows on Snapdragon devices, and was designed to streamline deployment, reduce administrative overhead, and enhance user experience across the school.
Using Microsoft Intune as part of the deployment and ongoing device management, Data#3 configured each device for a fast, secure onboarding experience. Devices were provisioned through Data#3’s Modern Deployment Services, ensuring they arrived pre-configured and ready for immediate use, minimising disruption to teaching and learning.
To further simplify the process, Canterbury College took advantage of Data#3’s Darra warehousing facility, where asset tagging and imaging were completed prior to delivery. This reduced on-campus storage needs and made device distribution to staff and students seamless.
“We used white glove deployment to ensure end user satisfaction. This allows faster onboarding where devices are pre-configured, allowing us to distribute to our users in a minimum timeframe, reducing setup time and IT workload,” added Shariff.
“Cloud-based device management is an important factor as well. We utilise Microsoft Intune, allowing our IT teams to manage all our devices remotely, deploying applications, enforcing policies, and pushing updates without needing physical access.”
While students enjoy the freedom of modern, portable devices, Shariff is ever conscious that as they explore the digital world, the “young and inquisitive minds” must be protected from online hazards. Surface takes a zero trust approach by embedding advanced security features at every level, from hardware to cloud services, so that the devices support the school’s rigorous security measures and policies.
“Device security is critical in an education environment,” explained Shariff. “I like the current range of Windows on Snapdragon Surface devices, they are very light and easy to work with, they have great ease of use, and they have a cloud-based structure that allows us to manage devices remotely, making rollout easy and secure.”
In terms of support, with a high number of very busy users, the priority is keeping everyone teaching and learning. Minimising lost classroom time, for teachers and students has a direct impact on academic results and wellbeing. The Data#3 support portal links directly to Microsoft, so that issues can be resolved without the school’s IT team having to duplicate effort. The platform also provides a transparent view of actions and progress on every support ticket so that the team can monitor the process.
“We have the first-line support in our school. If it is not something we can quickly fix, we put it on the Data#3 portal, which goes directly to Microsoft, so we don’t have to chase for answers.”
devices rolled out over three hours
Large-scale device refreshes used to be huge undertakings, but this time the rollout of 440 devices was notable for its speed and efficiency. As someone with extensive IT experience, Shariff said that the process was altogether less stressful.
“Fifteen years back, it used to take a couple of weeks to go through this number of devices. This time, in three hours we rolled out more than 400 devices. The white glove service helps with that. Now, our users come in, log in, and take their device. It really is that simple,” said Shariff
“We also run an information session for each cohort, to make sure everyone is prepared with the skills to get the most out of their new device.”
Having previously used an earlier generation of Surface Pro devices, the transition has been straightforward for users. Shariff said that the most common feedback has related to battery life.
“The battery life is now more than a day. We had previous devices charging during the day but importantly, now the battery life is longer. Students are saying that they are charging in the morning, and they have more than 20% left, sometimes even 50%, when they go home,” shared Shariff.
“They use it in every class, their laptop is integral in everything, and the teachers have their lesson plans. They use the devices for many aspects of their day, even outdoor classes. It has a great battery, it is easy to carry around and use for recording video for classwork, for example.”
The addition of integrated Microsoft Copilot means the devices are future proofed and ready to capitalise on new technology developments. Shariff said that the school is taking a carefully managed approach to AI, identifying where there are benefits and educating at each stage.
“AI brings a lot of benefits, but there are risks and dangers as well, so we constantly educate staff, students and parents as much as possible. Teachers can use AI in lessons to create another level of understanding. We have policies around AI use in the student code of conduct. We give AI capability but not a free hand; governance is very important. We use common sense and aim to be leading edge not bleeding edge,” explained Shariff.
As with many education establishments, Canterbury College has found that AI has generated a lot of interest, so it has offered guidance in a number of formats including information sessions and emails. Canterbury College sees responsible use of technology as a team effort that involves collaborating with teachers, parents and students, so they aim to “make it as easy as possible” for busy parents to keep informed.
As well as the right technology and support, Canterbury College found Data#3’s expertise in leasing helpful to ensure they got the best value for the school community.
“Data#3’s strong relationships with Microsoft and Qualcomm have been a great advantage for us. They allowed us to access competitive pricing and make the most of our education funding.”
Data#3’s strong relationships with Microsoft and Qualcomm have been a great advantage for us. They allowed us to access competitive pricing and make the most of our education funding.
Afzal Shariff - Director of IT and Services, Canterbury College.
While there are many options when it comes to device acquisition, for Shariff it was important to consider what a technology partner can bring to the table in terms of expertise, support, and ease of rollout.
“Data#3’s biggest strength has been their level of service and support, from the account manager and beyond, they have been amazing. Their service, support and reliability are impressive, whether the software team, the hardware team, I can’t fault them. If I have an issue, I know I can just pick up the phone. The level of our relationship with Data#3 is unique and very strong, and the account manager, who I have known for some time now, bonds everything together. It’s a good feeling know that I can depend on him when I need it,” commented Shariff.
“Having accessible leadership is important to me when choosing who to work with. The level of support at Data#3 comes from the top down, which gives me confidence that we’re well supported at every level.”
Feedback from students has been that the Snapdragon powered Surface Pro 11 has proven a hit, with performance and battery life making their school days more productive.
“I have found that the battery in my new laptop has improved as opposed to my previous laptop, which is very important in the sense that I don’t have to constantly miss out on doing my school work when it is charging,” said one student.
For Shariff, providing the best outcome for students is number one. Everything in the school, from exceptional teaching to attention to wellbeing, is designed to equip students to get the best from their time at Canterbury College and prepare for the world beyond.
“The devices we choose are important, this is a learning tool that students use every day, every class, and they need it to perform well.”
In the busy IT department, though, the ability to roll out more than 400 devices in an afternoon, with the help of Data#3 service and Microsoft Intune, was nothing short of remarkable.
“Using Microsoft Intune made device rollout seamless, giving us centralised control over deployment and software management. That kind of efficiency is essential when scaling new devices. With the added support from Data#3 and Qualcomm, the process has saved us valuable time and is a great example of what you can do with the right partnership,” concluded Sharif.
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