Google Courts Windows, Office Users with New Chrome OS Enterprise Tools

Google is stepping up its effort to court commercial customers to move to Chrome OS Enterprise and its productivity suite.

A new set of tools from Google Cloud announced last week, aim to simplify the transition from Windows to Chrome. Earlier this month, Google also said it is also giving G Suite a facelift and a new name: Google Workspace.

The new Google Workspace isn’t the first rebranding of the company’s productivity suite. Introduced a decade ago as Google Apps, it acquired the G Suite moniker four years ago. Google entered the productivity market to offer a cloud-focused alternative to Microsoft Office.

Integration and Improved Interfaces

Google Workspace’s Javier Soltero

According to Javier Soltero, vice president and general manager of Google Workspace, the individual apps in the suite originally focused on specific capabilities. But in recent years, Google has integrated them. In July, Google said it was integrating its components such as video, chat, email, files and tasks more tightly. Soltero noted in the announcement that besides improved interfaces, they would work better together in enterprise environments. The move built on the May launch of Google Meet, adding enterprise video conferencing, chat and communications from several disparate apps.

“Our new Google Workspace brand reflects this more connected, helpful, and flexible experience, and our icons will reflect the same,” Soltero noted, in this month’s post. “In the coming weeks, you will see new four-color icons for Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Meet and our collaborative content creation tools like Docs, Sheets, Slides that are part of the same family. They represent our commitment to building integrated communication and collaboration experiences for everyone, all with helpfulness from Google.”

Google Workspace includes enterprise versions of Gmail, Drive, Meet, Calendar, Chat, Docs, Sheets, Slides and other tools. The new monthly subscription plans include its $12 Business Standard, which includes 2TB of cloud storage, support for 150 participants in video meetings with recording. The $18 Business Plus plan allows 250 video meeting participants, plus recording and attendance, 5TB of cloud storage, enhanced security and endpoint management control and eDiscovery and message retention.

The company isn’t publishing pricing for its Enterprise plan but it includes unlimited storage, support for noise cancellation and in-domain live streaming, S/MIME encryption  an advanced security, management and compliance controls, including DLP, data regions and enterprise endpoint management.

Chrome OS Readiness Tool

Google Cloud’s new Chrome OS Readiness Tool will assess which apps running on users’ current Windows PCs can move to Chrome OS. The tool will generate a report that categorizes apps usage, correlated with a Google database. According to Google, the database consists of applications verified among those that have already used the tool.

Google’s John Maletis

The tool will also note which legacy Windows apps are suited for VDI. Google said Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise is now available. “It provides quick access to legacy and full-featured applications, like Microsoft Office, locally on Chrome OS,” according to a blog post by John Maletis, head of Chrome OS.

Google plans to release the Chrome OS Readiness Tool early next year, though a test version is now available. Google also launched zero-touch enrollment, which is suited for partners that want to drop-ship devices and/or remotely enroll Chrome OS devices. Goole also has added several new features to Chrome OS Enterprise including Virtual Desks, split-screen display capabilities and improved performance. Google will demonstrate the new features Dec. 3 for its Chrome OS Demo Day.