Microsoft has announced the first international channel availability of Surface RT and Surface Pro for its commercial, education and public sector customers in 17 new markets.

In addition to the US commercial channel, the markets that will begin to sell Surface include: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K.

"In the 10 months since the initial launch of Surface, we’ve moved to put Surface in the hands of more business customers around the world," Microsoft says.

"We wanted to expand commercial distribution for Surface in a thoughtful way, and this new expansion is via a select ecosystem of established channel partners who have the geographical reach, tablet-selling experience and commercial value-added services capabilities to deliver the type of business experience our customers need."

On top of offering Microsoft’s extended warranty and accidental damage protection, resellers also bring asset tagging, custom imaging, kitting, onsite service and support, device recycling and data protection.

"We’re committed to bringing business channel availability to all markets where Surface is currently sold," Microsoft adds.

"A measured approach helps us to quickly gather feedback and improve while we grow our geographical reach in the business channel."