Designed in Collaboration with Microsoft’s Designed for Surface Program, New Rugged Case Offers Maximum Drop Protection and a Hand Strap
Kensington®, a worldwide leader in delivering smart. safe. simple.™ desktop and mobile computing accessories, today announced the launch of its Kensington BlackBelt™ 2nd Degree Rugged Case for Microsoft® Surface™ Pro 4. The case allows users to protect their laptop replacement by offering valuable drop protection that retains full functionality and access to the core features of the Surface Pro 4. Kensington will showcase the BlackBelt 2nd Degree Rugged Case at CES Unveiled 2016 in Las Vegas on January 4.
Touted as the tablet that can replace your laptop, the Surface Pro 4 offers an impressive combination of power and portability. To help users protect this valuable mobile investment, Kensington’s designers worked closely with Microsoft as a member of the “Designed for Surface” program to create the BlackBelt 2nd Degree Rugged Case. The new case surrounds the Surface Pro 4 in military-grade drop protection with an integrated hand strap for worry-free carrying. The Type Cover keyboard can be easily attached or detached with the case on, and a strategic cutout preserves full functionality of the Surface kickstand.
“The Surface Pro 4 has become increasingly popular with professionals, and it’s understandable because the device offers the perfect blend of performance and portability to replace the laptop,” said Brian Knauss, global product manager, Kensington. “But accidents do happen, and valuable mobile investments such as this need to be protected. That’s where BlackBelt 2nd Degree Rugged Case comes in. Designed specifically for the Surface Pro 4, the case surrounds the Surface Pro 4 with a strong, rugged TPU body for maximum protection against drops, while also providing a flexible silicone hand strap, non-slip grip, and unobstructed access to the things that make Surface unique like the click-in Type Cover and kickstand, full USB 3.0 port, cameras, and more.”
Last June, in conjunction with the launch of Kensington’s BlackBelt 1st Degree for Surface Pro 3, the company announced its participation in the Microsoft Designed for Surface Program, which empowers the organization to develop Surface-specific accessories for business and consumer use. The goal of the program is to provide third-party hardware accessory manufacturers specific technical guidance to help create exceptional accessories that work seamlessly with Surface devices. Microsoft created the program to address the growing demand for Surface accessories for use in business, at home, and on the go.
“Building on the success of the BlackBelt 1st Degree for Surface Pro 3, Kensington worked closely with the Designed for Surface program to create the BlackBelt 2nd Degree for Surface Pro 4,” said Brian Crum, senior product manager, Microsoft Surface. “With the case’s rugged protection and a customized design that preserves the full functionality of the tablet, Kensington’s BlackBelt 2nd Degree for Surface Pro 4 meets Microsoft’s requirement for accessories that help users be more productive by making Surface more useful to them. These two successful launches in partnership with Designed for Surface show Kensington’s commitment to serving the needs of customers who rely on Microsoft devices and services.”
Key features of the Kensington® BlackBelt™ 2nd Degree Rugged Case for Microsoft® Surface™ Pro 4 (K97442WW; SRP $59.99) include:
- Military-Grade Drop Protection – A strong, rugged TPU body surrounds the Surface Pro™ 4 and meets the MIL-STD-810G testing protocols for drop protection.
- Custom-Designed for Surface – Kensington is an official participant in Microsoft’s Designed for Surface program, which helps third-party manufacturers create exceptional accessories that work seamlessly with Surface devices.
- Hand Strap – Constructed of flexible silicone to fit a wide variety of hand sizes, the hand strap provides users with a convenient and worry-free way to hold the tablet when sharing or collaborating, especially in a highly mobile environment.
- Type Cover Channel – Allows users to quickly and easily attach or detach the Type Cover without having to remove the rugged case from the Surface Pro 4.
- QuickFold™ Design – Ideal for mobile viewing, the Type Cover can be folded up the backside of the rugged case so the keyboard is neatly out of the way without having to detach it.
- Unobstructed Access – Strategic cutouts in the case allow users to take full advantage of the Surface kickstand, buttons, ports, and cameras.
Kensington will showcase the BlackBelt 2nd Degree Rugged Case at CES Unveiled 2016 in Las Vegas on January 4. For more information contact Denise Nelson, the Ventana Group for Kensington, 925.858.5198 (mobile) or dnelson@theventanagroup.com.
Notes to editors
About Kensington
Kensington is a leading provider of desktop and mobile device accessories, trusted by IT, educators, business and home office professionals around the world for more than 35 years. Kensington products empower people to dynamically interact with content, creating a better working experience for productive performance. In both office and mobile environments, Kensington’s extensive portfolio of award-winning products provides trusted security, desktop productivity innovations, and ergonomic well-being. Our core competencies in engineering, industrial design, product quality and responsive customer support make Kensington The Professionals’ Choice™.
Headquartered in San Mateo, California, Kensington operates as the technology division of ACCO Brands (NYSE: ACCO), one of the world’s largest designers, marketers and manufacturers of branded business, academic and consumer products, sold in more than 100 countries across the globe.
Kensington is the inventor and worldwide leader in laptop security locks, the acknowledged leader of Trackball innovation and offers a broad range of premium-branded desktop productivity solutions.