Chromebook usage in businesses has grown in recent years, for a few good reasons. Chromebooks are dead simple to log into and use, and if something does go wrong it's easy to powerwash them. Google already provides basic management tools for businesses interested in deploying Chromebooks, but soon, admins will have another option. Google has announced a new suite of tools called Chrome Enterprise.
While a lot of businesses may be moving to be 100% in the cloud, most businesses aren't there yet. For these customers, a Chrome Enterprise license will include support for Microsoft's Active Directory. This will centralize management of Chromebooks without a business needing to be 100% in Google Cloud. Chromebook Enterprise will also allow businesses to centrally manage all of their devices through VMWare Workspace One. IT administrators will be able to build and deploy a single application to handle all of the virtualization needs for Chromebooks, including Android apps and a virtual Windows environment.
Speaking of Android applications, Chromebook Enterprise will also let administrators manage which Google Play applications an end user can install on their Chromebook, as well as managing which Chrome extensions the user can install. As more and more Chromebooks gain the ability to run Android apps, it's great to see businesses get options to manage which applications are allowed. Finally, Chromebook Enterprise will feature managed OS updates so administrators can test new version of the operating system before it is rolled out to end users.
Chrome Enterprise will cost a flat $50 per device, which still keeps Chromebooks cost effective for businesses. Google will be hosting a question and answer webinar on August 23 for those interested in learning more about Chromebook Enterprise.
Do you think Chromebook Enterprise would be a good fit for your organization? Let us know down below!
