Computing announces new working relationship with Google

Computing and Google are working together on a series of events highlighting the options available to organisations in the cloud, and around the endpoint

Computing is working with Google for events throughout the year based around Chrome Enterprise, the first of which - at the Shard in London in June - was a great success.

Chrome Enterprise is a cloud-based solution that can replace legacy desktop systems, or support them through VDI. At Computing's IT Leaders' Club, ‘The Cloud - A Gamechanger for the Legacy Desktop', delegates spoke about their desire to abandon legacy but added that they were being held back by employee inertia.

Migrating from desktop-based systems like Windows, which companies might have been using for decades, is a bold step. The opinions of CIOs speaking at our event varied from ‘Educate your employees about why it is necessary' to ‘Just do it and deal with the fallout'. There is clearly no standard approach!

Google Cloud's EMEA Head of Chrome and Android, Michael Wyatt, said that the search giant favours the soft touch: "We work with partners that support our customers with change management, help build a migration plan and get users up to speed on how to do their job in a cloud-native way."

Speaking about Chrome Enterprise, Wyatt said, "Today, employees want their professional tools to be as familiar, seamless and engaging as the cloud applications they use outside of the office. They spend significant time on the go, use shared devices to access information and work in diverse, global teams. This new type of employee is changing the face of work as we know it.

"Organisations need to adapt to be able to deliver secure and consistent access across mobile, SaaS and legacy apps. They need protection from ever-evolving threats, including phishing and malware."

According to a Google whitepaper, a mid-size enterprise would have a 52 per cent lower TCO; 43 per cent lower hardware costs; and $1.5 million in expected savings and benefits over three years with Chrome Enterprise compared to a Windows laptop.

Computing and Google will continue to run events covering both the benefits and drawbacks of migrating entirely to the cloud with Chrome Enterprise.

The next event will be an IT Leaders' Forum at The Brewery in London on the 13th September, titled ‘Welcome to the Age of the Cloud Worker'. Register now!