As a small or medium business moves toward a world of web-based applications, Google’s Chromebook and Chromebox are picking up steam in the enterprise/SMB marketplace. For years Google’s Chromebooks have been used in education, along with Google’s suite of apps. But data from B2B sales last year points to an emerging trend – more and more businesses are making the leap now. Let’s take a look at what the pros and cons of moving to a Google, Android, and Chrome OS environment are.
What is a Chromebook or a Chromebox?
A Chromebook is basically a laptop with Google’s Chrome OS installed. It has many similarities to a modern Windows laptop – Intel processors, 4GB of RAM, USB ports and HD screens. A Chromebox is the Chrome OS version of a desktop PC. The main difference between a Chromebook and a laptop is that the Chromebook has very little hard drive space and most of your work is done online, on the cloud.
Many companies still have server-based or locally installed applications that they feel obligated to continue using – think Sharepoint, File Servers, software for property management, real estate, phone systems, and of course, MS Office.
Why Should My Business Switch to Google’s Cloud and Web-Based Applications?
Unless you are using proprietary onsite server-based or locally installed applications, Google Apps and the cloud offer a replacement for everything you might need!
MS Word becomes Google Docs.
MS Excel becomes Google Sheets.
Sharepoint becomes Google Sites and Google Drive.
File Server & Sharing becomes Google Drive.
MS Outlook and Exchange becomes Gmail for Business.
There are many articles which compare the pros and cons between a Microsoft architecture and a Google Apps architecture. The usual takeaway is that Google Apps is cheaper but you are reliant on internet access in order to function. With the spread of high availability internet like fiber, this concern is mitigated greatly. Furthermore, Google’s cloud-based workplace allows you to log onto any computer anywhere and access your files. You aren’t tied to the Chromebook, you don’t need to open it up and copy a file – just log into your Google Apps account from any computer and your file is online waiting for you! When you add in the ability to easily share files and the generous storage space for business users, you can replace the majority of your Microsoft infrastructure with an affordable, accessible online replacement.
You Won’t Be an Early Adopter
Many companies fear being the “beta” subject when moving to new solutions. But Chromebook and Chromebox have been steadily gaining steam in the B2B and SMB marketplace. Take a look at the steady increase in PC/Tablet sales for Google’s Chrome OS and Android devices-
From 14.6% to 30.3% in 2 years!
And more from the NPD report-
“Chromebooks have maintained their education season buying momentum with sales up 38 percent over 2014 and, for the first time, exceeding sales of Windows notebooks and passing the 50 percent market share threshold through B2B channels during the June and early July period.”
You can read the report here.
An ideal cost-effective IT strategy for small and medium businesses should employ all of the tools needed to do the work reliably and efficiently for the least expense. Google’s products do serve a role and for many businesses they are a perfect fit. Companies who have legacy applications or server-based software can continue to use solutions like Citrix or Windows Terminal Services in combination with Chromebooks and Chromeboxes. Newer printers have built-in CloudPrint functionality, so printing from the cloud is a breeze. You can share documents with others in your organization with the click of a button. You can even share printers with co-workers across the country with the click of a button! There is so much flexibility with cloud-based applications and services, so take advantage of an emerging trend that the larger companies can’t implement. Take your workplace to the cloud and work faster and smarter than you ever have before!