Google Chromebooks are clearly on the radar screen of many organizations and are poised to potentially disrupt existing platforms that have been used in businesses for many years. There are certainly strong potential synergies for companies that have standardized on Google Apps for Work and adopted Chromebook, but other companies can benefit as well. An employee who is primarily using web applications in her environment could be a strong candidate, as could employees who are still using Windows applications but stepping away from Windows devices in their business setting. Chrome RDP technology, Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp, VMware Horizon, and other emerging solutions can all help project a Microsoft Windows workspace onto a Google Chromebook.

Google is the newcomer in a corporate business setting as it bumps up against Microsoft and Apple, but ESG research respondents indicate that the Google Chromebook is a potential fit for some opportunities and a healthy group of IT professionals surveyed indicate that they believe it will have an impact on the Windows PC environment over time. The fog over the type of buyer has also lifted a bit, indicating that IT professionals under the age of 35 are more likely to influence Google Chromebook decisions and investments. Outside of the education market, Google has the potential to package Google for Work with Chromebooks in environments where employees are embracing endpoint device change, and the simplicity and economics of Google solutions can make the Chromebook an attractive option for businesses that are increasing their reliance on a cloud-based application delivery strategy. Application delivery and endpoint device choice are creating a fast-acting catalyst for businesses to modify process and employee behavior at work. The goal of improved productivity and security are front and center as businesses explore alternative options and look toward Google as a company that can help shape their strategy and advance the effectiveness of applications and devices for employee productivity.