When building Chrome OS, we knew computing was complicated, and it was even more complex for business owners and IT. Slow boot times, intrusive updates, cumbersome on-premise management, and additional third-party security add-ons decreased tech infrastructure ROI and took valuable IT time away from more strategic initiatives. We set out to engineer a fast, secure, and easy-to-manage solution that decreased downtime and the total cost of ownership. Over the past 10 years, Google has continually advanced this vision ‒ a modern OS designed to be cloud-first and provide a better experience for both employees and IT. I’ve been a proud member of the Chrome OS team since 2010, and I’m delighted to share a little bit about our history of bringing Chrome OS to businesses and some exciting new launches that will help scale your deployment and management of Chrome OS.
Chrome OS and the first Chromebook launched in 2011, and with it the modern way of computing. I joined the team a few months before and sent 16,000 of the original Cr-48 Chromebook to schools and businesses. The response from IT was overwhelming and they kept asking one thing: How do we get more? It was clear to them they could benefit from an easy-to-manage, cloud-first device. And soon after, I brought on two engineers to develop the first cloud-based policies for Chrome OS.
At first, we modernized learning and made device management simpler for schools, soon becoming the #1 operating system for K-12 education globally1. And the simplicity of Chrome OS’ device management has also resonated with businesses. Chrome OS has become the preferred choice for IT to support a distributed workforce. In fact, in 2020, Chrome OS business shipments grew 68% YoY in the US according to NPD2, and we are now the world’s second most popular operating system. This journey to keep employees productive and business running with Chrome OS didn’t happen overnight. It’s been the accumulation of 10 years of investment in simplifying management for IT, decreasing downtime for employees, and ensuring Chrome OS devices have robust, built-in, and proactive security.
Watch the below video to see some of the key investments and innovations over the past 10 years for businesses that have helped modernize computing.
