After acquiring software virtualization company Cameyo last year, Google has relaunched a version of the service that makes it easier for Windows-based organizations to migrate over to ChromeOS. Now called “Cameyo by Google,” the Virtual App Delivery (VAD) solution allows users to run legacy Windows apps in the Chrome browser or as web apps, preventing organizations from being tied to Microsoft’s operating system.
Google says the new Cameyo experience is more efficient than switching between separate virtual desktop environments, allowing users to stream the specific apps they need instead of virtualizing the entire desktop. That allows Windows-based programs like Excel and AutoCAD to run side-by-side with Chrome and other web apps, giving businesses the flexibility to use a mix of Microsoft and Google services.
“For years, the primary blocker for deeper enterprise adoption of ChromeOS has always been the ‘app gap’ — the persistent need to access a few remaining Windows applications within an organization,” Google said in its announcement. “Now, teams can move to a more modern, collaborative productivity suite that was built for the web, and they can still access any specialized Windows apps that their workflows still depend on.”
The goal, of course, is to encourage more organizations to provide Chromebooks for their teams, if not switch their systems to ChromeOS entirely. While Chromebooks can be more affordable than Windows-based hardware, and more apps are shifting to cloud or web-based platforms, the number of ChromeOS users is still dwarfed by those using Microsoft’s platform.