While Google Chromebooks were originally designed primarily for consumers, their rising popularity, and low cost are attracting enterprises. Google and its partners are aware of this, and are starting to focus on this market segment as well. That being said, Google Chromebooks still have many limitations that can impede their usefulness as an enterprise platform.
In this presentation, originally presented at BriForum US 2014, Ericom CTO Dan Shappir provides concrete guidelines that will enable you to determine if Google Chromebooks are a viable option for your organization and users. He also highlights tools and applications that can increase the usefulness of this platform for enterprises.
To learn how Ericom can help your organization make the transition to Chromebooks, visit the following URL: http://j.mp/1nefYTS
2. Dan Shappir
CTO at Ericom Software
@DanShappir
blog: ericomguy.blogspot.com
Six-time BriForum speaker
3. Agenda
Answering these questions:
1. Why are we having this discussion?
2. What are Chromebook, Chromebox and Chrome OS?
3. What can and can’t a Chromebook do?
4. How do you manage Chromebooks?
5. How to access Windows Desktops and Apps?
6. Is it appropriate for your Enterprise?
4. Google Savings Calculator
PC Chromebook
Purchase price $61,500 $24,900
Hardware maintenance $12,300 $9,000
IT Software & Infrastructure $58,500 $15,000
Management and
administrative overhead
$343,500 $21,900
End-user Costs $145,500 $36,400
3 year total cost of
ownership
$621,300 $107,200
For 100 devices:
http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/business/devices/#tco=100
5. Chromebook Benefits (Per Google)
● Low cost, CAPEX and OPEX
o Starts at $179
● Boots in seconds
● Easy to use
● Integrated with Google Apps
● Sharable
● Battery lasts entire workday / school-day
6. What’s a Chromebook?
Personal Computer running Chrome OS ...
designed to be used primarily while connected
to the Internet, with most applications and data
residing "in the Cloud" ... A Chromebook is an
example of a thin client
-
Wikipedia
7. Chromebook Facts
● Chromebook, not ChromeBook
● Chromebox is a Chromebook in Thin Client
form-factor
● Very successful in Education
● I want a Chromebook Pixel, but won’t pay
$1,449 for it
8. Google Ecosystem Integration
● Login using Google+ credentials
● Chrome browser sync
● Manage using Google Apps Console
● Best platform for Google Docs
o Including offline
● Apps from Chrome Web Store
● Google Drive bundle
9. Chrome OS
● Linux based
● Open source (Chromium OS) + additional
firmware features (verified boot, etc.)
o Must be official Chrome OS to be Managed
● Driven by Google
● “Aura” window manager
● Google Cloud Print
12. Chrome OS Application Types
1. Web apps
2. Chrome Web Store apps
3. Future: Android apps
13. Web Apps on Chrome OS
● Google Chrome is world’s leading browser
● Leading in HTML5 support
o Offline
o WebGL (3D)
o Location-based services
o Audio / video input / output
o WebRTC (“like Skype”)
o Voice input / output
o Much, much more
● Supports Flash & PDF, but not Java or Silverlight
14. Chrome Web Store Apps
● Purchased & installed from Chrome Web Store
● Package containing “web resources” stored locally
o Offline first
o Self updating
● Permission-based access to extended services
o Run outside browser window
o TCP / UDP sockets
o USB / Bluetooth / serial, clipboard, …
● Native Client (NaCl) - apps built with C++
15. Future: Android Apps
● Announced and demoed at Google I/O
● Select apps by end of the year
● Eventually most apps
16. Audio / Video Conferencing
● No Skype
o Until Android app support?
● Citrix Hutt: https://hu.tt/ and go!
o Built with WebRTC
● Google Hangouts
o Built with WebRTC + NaCl (this is new)
o Integrated with Google+
17. Chromebook Limitations
● Potentially underpowered
● Limitations on offline capabilities
● Limited VPN options
● Limited local storage size and capabilities
● Office files challenges
● Keyboard and touchpad issue
30. Chromebox Models
Available Brand Model Processor RAM Price
2013-03 Samsung Series 3 XE300M22-
B01US
Celeron B840 4 GB $479
($329)
2013-02 Google Chromebox for Meetings
(equipment bundle)
Intel Core i7 $999
2014-03 Asus Chromebox-400MU 1.4 GHz Celeron
2955U
2 or 4 GB $179 /
$225
2014-05 Asus Chromebox-M075U Intel Core i3-4010U 2 or 4 GB $407
2014-06 HP HP Chromebox Intel Celeron
2955U/Core i7-4600U
2 or 8 GB ?
31. Chromebox For Meetings
● Video Conferencing System from Google
● High-end Chromebox - Intel Core i7
● HD 1080p camera
● QWERTY keyboard on back of remote
● 24/7 support
● Works best with Google Apps for Business (duh!)
● Starts at $999, management & support $250 after first year
32. Chromebooks vs. Tablets
● Keyboard + mouse vs. touch
● On a surface vs. handheld
● Also:
o Large screen tablets 2x the price
o But half the weight
o Tablets generally have better resolution
o Tablets still better offline
o Chromebooks more manageable and less hackable
34. Chrome OS Management Principles
Web-based management
Configure and manage key settings centrally
Customize from the cloud
Specify apps, themes, and extensions to install
Security built-in
Provide multiple layers of protection including
sandboxing, data encryption, and verified boot
Forever fresh
Chromebooks and apps update themselves;
new users sign into a fresh computer
35. Four Major Management Areas
● Proxy Access and URL Management
o For example: block websites
● Applications and Extensions
● Security
● Hardware
36. Apps
● Pre-install apps from Chrome Web Store
● Preform bulk purchase
● Create “private app store” by whitelisting /
blacklisting apps
● Pin apps and extensions for easy access
39. Google Cloud Print
● Cloud based service
● Associates printers with Google account
● Print from anywhere
● Cloud Ready printers
● “Classic printers” via agent in local Chrome
browser
44. Windows Desktops and Apps
● Remote access only
● Many options, including all leading vendors
o Except Microsoft
● On premises and hosted
● Pure HTML5 and Chrome Web Apps
46. Chrome Web Store Apps
● Google Chrome Remote Desktop - free
o Chrome/Chromebook to Chrome
o Access Windows, Mac and Linux
● Ericom AccessToGo for Chrome (RDP) - free
o Blaze acceleration
● 2X Client for RDP - free
● RealVNC Viewer for Chrome - free
● Citrix Receiver for Chrome ?
48. Ultimate Mobile VDI Client?
● Windows form-factor
o Except keyboard layout
● Easy online access
● Low cost
● Long-lasting battery
● Centralized management
● Local browsing / media playback
49. Points to Consider
● Target hosts
o VDI / RDSH / physical
o Windows / Mac / Linux
● Published desktops / published apps
● Chromebook keyboard
● Performance
● Printing
● Connection brokering
● Secure remote access & SSL VPN compatibility
50. Chromebooks Yeah!
1. Bought into Google ecosystem
2. Going web: Office 365, Salesforce.com, …
3. Cost conscious - both CAPEX and OPEX
4. Content producers
5. Specific verticals, e.g. Education
6. Mobile VDI client
7. If / when Chromebox prices drop
51. Chromebooks Meh ...
1. On-premises / can’t use Cloud
2. Totally Windows - unless mostly VDI / SBC
3. Often offline
4. Content consumer / mobilized
5. Or high-end content producer
6. Windows laptop / Surface can do everything
Chromebook can do ...
52. Summary
● Chromebook advancing at rapid pace
● Google services becoming Enterprise
Ready, and Chromebooks are natural
extension
● Benefits from advances in Web tech,
and improving Net Access
● Improving management capabilities
Don’t take my word for it - take Google’s!
Our IT director agrees: “I can solve most any Chromebook problem in seconds by simply reverting to factory settings”
Microsoft and HP will introduce a $200 netbook this fall: the Stream
http://winbuzzer.com/heres-proof-that-microsoft-is-terrified-of-googles-chromebooks/
Classic “less is more”
Windows 8.1 also boots quickly - seconds from SSD
Chromebooks and Google Apps managed from the same Cloud Console
More than sharable, it’s discardable
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 theoretically provides up to 9 hours of battery life, but in-use it’s only ~4.5
Also, Chromebase - All In One computer running Chrome OS
Funnily, Google introduced the Chrome OS desktop just as Microsoft deprecated the desktop with Windows 8
I think Google had it right in this regard
Applications vetted by Google - can retroactively remove apps
Integrated payment system
Almost every Chrome, not just Chrome OS
Google and Mozilla works on standardization via w3c - but not all extended services will be standardized
Source: http://www.gizmag.com/2014-chromebook-comparison-guide/32518/
Exynos is a series of ARM-based System-on-Chips (SoCs) developed and manufactured by Samsung
Much less choice
With exception of Asus, much to expensive IMO
I want a $100 Chromebox
Tablets with docs weigh roughly the same as Chromebooks, but even more expensive
What about a Chrome OS tablet?
Ultimately it will probably mean Chrome Web App support in Android
Uses LDAP - works with Microsoft AD, Lotus Domino, etc.
Requires the installation of a Google Directory Sync component next to LDAP, with appropriate permissions
Timed sync
Uploads your LDAP data into the Google Cloud
Update in one way: LDAP never modified
Directory Sync component available for Windows, Linux and Solaris
Devices will only show up on the Shipments tab if your order was fulfilled from Google inventory. Devices ordered from vendors, resellers, or third-party sites will not appear on this page. As of late 2013, Google no longer fulfills orders from its warehouse, so administrators will not see any information related to recent hardware orders on this page.
Assign device to user or location
Installed from Chrome Web Store
Work like regular native clients
Direct RDP / VNC connections, without requiring special gateway
Some can run outside browser window, and access local resources e.g. USB
Requires installation + configuration - installation, at least, can be automated by Chrome Management Console
Downloads like a regular web page
No installation or configuration required
Works on any browser/devices, not just Chromebooks
Requires gateway to connect to RDP/ICA/VNC. Blast doesn’t require gateway
Constrained by browser sandbox
Brian wrote about this:
Google ChromeBook + VDI/DaaS = Awesome! (Even for the enterprise!)
http://www.brianmadden.com/blogs/brianmadden/archive/2014/02/13/google-chromebook-vdi-daas-awesome-even-for-the-enterprise.aspx
So did I three years earlier!
http://ericomguy.ericom.com/2011/07/is-google-chromebook-ultimate-vdi-ts.html
But dedicated thin-clients, with built-in support for ICA/HDX or PCoIP or RFX2 can provide better performance
Also, screen may be too low res