The headline really says it all: TalkinCloud has learned — and Google has confirmed — Google has introduced a pilot program that enables select resellers to offer the Google Chromebook cloud-based laptops to their customers.
Google has been promising some kind of channel play around Chromebooks since before they were officially launched earlier in 2011. TalkinCloud has consistently tracked the product’s progress through the enterprise space, but always through the lens that no, Google still hadn’t followed through. But now, thanks to a CRN report, we know Google has launched that program underneath our noses.
I reached out to a Google spokesperson directly for a statement on the newfound Chromebook channel availability:
“The channel is tremendously important to us. We’ve been very deliberate about how we extend our reach since Chromebooks represent a new way of thinking about computing. Over the past several months we have been selling the product direct from Google and our next step is to involve some of our existing Apps resellers to open up the channel.”
According to that CRN article, the only two confirmed Google Apps partners chosen to add Google Chromebooks to their arsenals are SADA Systems and Cumulous Global — though now that the cat’s out of the bag, I’m hoping more will reach out to us when they read this blog post.
Much like the direct sales model, partners will be able to offer Chromebooks to customers under one- or three-year terms, with a monthly fee covering the costs of all repairs or replacements. Just as speculated, the partner play largely revolves around a twist on the usual hardware-as-a-service formula — since everything on a Chromebook is by definition in the cloud, just logging into your Google account from a new device gives you all your stuff just as it was.
Moreover, it seems partners will have access to administration consoles, enabling Google Apps Authorized Resellers to offer managed services around Chromebooks, too. And by stacking it with VDI and third-party SaaS solutions, there’s plenty of potential for partners to create something really unique using the low-profile, low-footprint Chromebook as a platform.
A lot of this is still secondhand. But now that Google’s officially confirming the rollout of Chromebooks to the channel, I’m expecting updates and solution announcements to start trickling down the pipeline. Stay tuned to TalkinCloud for more.
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I have so many clients that have been asking me to provide chromebooks for them…finally!
This is just perfect for our users @proposalware
Sales Junkie,
Are clients truly asking for Chromebooks? Or are they asking for a potential mobile option and you think Chromebooks are the answer to that need? Thoughts?
-jp
If your clients are accessing server based applications (eg. web based order/invoicing/inventory/CRM/info/database systems and virtualized Windows applications via Citrix), then Chromebooks are ideal for you. They are zero maintenance, stateless devices which can be managed centrally, and will save you a fortune on Windows desktop provisioning, maintenance and support IT salary cost and time. Examples are large Enterprises and public sector server based information systems, private sector information workers, customer support centers, sales, accounts departments etc.
They are also perfect as public access terminals for information or Internet access due to their security, and shareability due to their statelessness.
For schools and Universities, they will save you masses of money which you would otherwise have to spend on employing IT staff for desktop provisioning, maintenance and support and installing, maintaining and supporting an in house Windows server to do authentication.
Almost all tasks are cloud based these, that’s why. It is great for all the fantastics web based apps.
Expanding the distribution channel along with the recent improvements to the devices should make Chromebooks even more attractive to potential buyers. As more people adopt Chromebooks more will also want to use them to access their Windows applications, especially for work.
One possible solution for this requirement is Ericom AccessNow, an HTML5 RDP client that enables tablet users to connect to any RDP host, including Terminal Server, physical desktops or VDI virtual desktops – and run their applications and desktops in a browser.
Ericom‘s AccessNow does not require any client or other underlying technology to be installed on end-user devices – an HTML5 browser is all that is required.
You can choose to run a full Windows desktop or just a specific Windows app, and that desktop or Windows app will appear within a browser tab.
For more info, and to download a demo, visit:
http://www.ericom.com/RDPChromebook.asp?URL_ID=708
Note: I work for Ericom