Google’s Chromebook & VDI: Same Lens, Different View?

As I was preparing tomorrow’s post making the argument that increased IT control and improved management should be the real drivers of VDI assessment, came the news that Google’s new Chromebook computer will hit the market in a few weeks, taking dead aim at the traditional Microsoft Windows desktop market. There’s certainly a long way to go before the paradigm shifts in corporate computing, but the points made by Google are similar to the points made by VDI providers as well: Desktop management is a headache and the constant cycle of updating, replacing, upgrading hardware, software and applications can be better handled through a centralized process: In the case of VDI, that centralization generally takes place in the corporate data center, in the world of Google’s Chromebook that centralization takes place in the cloud. Same difference, to a degree, except in the corporate world will IT be willing to give up control, will IT be willing to take on additional security risks, will IT be willing to trust mission critical users and information to Google when it can, perhaps, achieve the same benefits and more control through VDI. Interesting questions, all of which will be given more consideration in tomorrow’s post. Meantime, if anyone has any thoughts on Chromebook and VDI, please feel free to post a comment.