In an increasingly cloud-based world, it is becoming unnecessary for the majority of a workforce to own a computer that can have applications natively installed on it. The fact that a Chromebook will only run web-based applications through a browser is a feature rather than a bug. The security risks associated with device-installed software solutions are much higher than only running web applications through a browser.
Since they require less hardware than a Windows computer, Chromebooks are also cheaper, making them much more attractive for a larger organization. They rarely crash and have a much faster boot and restart time than a Windows-based computer.
The only thing standing in the way of Chromebooks overtaking Windows computers in popularity is an organizational dedication to the Microsoft ecosystem. Ongoing security issues with Microsoft and the Crowdstrike deployment failure have led some businesses to look into other solutions for their devices.
Why Chromebooks are more secure
A March 2024 report on the security of the Chrome operating system versus Windows and Apple found it to be the most secure out of the three out of the box. The “why” is mostly due to its simplicity - with the browser being the operating system, there is less to infiltrate and go wrong overall. According to the report, this simplicity of operation also creates less of an attack surface.
While it is possible to reconfigure Microsoft and Apple operating systems to be as secure as ChromeOS, most businesses want a solution that works securely out of the box - and you can only get that with a Chromebook.
Chromebooks are easier to onboard/offboard and manage
ChomeOS device management allows you to easily onboard, offboard, and manage your Chromebooks. You do not need to have a Google Workspace account to use it, but if you do, you can manage your Chromebooks through your Google Admin Console as well.
With just a few clicks, you can deploy policies and turn apps on or off throughout your business. Device management is much easier with Chromebooks, and if it comes down to it, even the owner of a business or senior management can run ChromeOS device management if IT isn’t available. Device management on Windows computers is much more complex and usually requires expensive third-party management.
At the user level, Chromebook updates are much easier to manage than a Windows update. Your Chromebook will rarely have to restart to apply an update because they are constantly happening in the background. With Windows, updates need to be constantly downloaded and installed by the user. Additionally, a Chromebook will never restart in the middle of work, and if a restart is required it quickly returns you to your opened tabs.
Chromebooks will still run Office and other Microsoft solutions
Since the majority of Microsoft applications run in the cloud, a Chromebook will still work for any organization that wants to keep working with Microsoft solutions. There is a flawed perception that this combination won’t work well, but Microsoft Office and Google Workspace are both accessed the same way; with a browser. Of course, we advocate for switching to Google Workspace because of its better collaboration and security. But if your business needs to run on Microsoft solutions, a Chromebook will get it done.
As your Google Partner, we can help you manage your Chromebooks site-wide without the massive retainer you would usually pay for constant Windows support; you just pay for the support you need when you need it. Contact us today to find out more!
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