Enterprise Windows XP users now have one more option to find a new computer operating system since support for XP ended April 8. They can now receive $200 rebates on any Google Chromebook when they also sign up for a desktop-as-a-service (DaaS) subscription from VMware for at least one year.
The new $200 rebate offer on Chromebooks was announced by Erik Frieberg, vice president of end-user product marketing for VMware, in an April 8 post on the VMware End-User Computing Blog. The rebate deal is an extension of a partnership the two companies unveiled in February for enterprise users. At that time, VMware and Google announced that critical legacy Windows applications would be able to be hosted and delivered via the cloud so that Chromebook users could access them through Web browsers.
So now that Windows XP users no longer have support for their long-lived operating system, Google and VMware are offering to replace XP with the ChromeOS and the VMware cloud for delivery of legacy Windows applications, wrote Frieberg. Those services are being provided by the mating of Chromebooks with VMware’s Horizon DaaS offering. Continued use of XP without support for patches and security fixes is not a recommended or smart answer for businesses, according to experts.
“It’s time to change. … It’s time to embrace a new way to work in the Mobile Cloud Era while still supporting the legacy and custom-built apps of the past,” wrote Frieberg. “The good news [is that]…VMware and Google are happy to help.”
Under the joint promotion with Google, new Chromebook buyers in the United States will receive a $200 rebate on each Chromebook they buy to replace a Windows XP machine when they also buy at least 12 months of Horizon service, according to Frieberg. “Customers taking advantage of this promotion can easily provide access to legacy Windows desktops and applications from a Google Chromebook with VMware Horizon DaaS on vCloud Hybrid Service or through Horizon DaaS Powered Service Providers.”
Chromebooks typically sell for $200 to $350 each, depending on vendor and features. The Horizon service costs about $35 per user per month via subscription for a full Windows client desktop experience, according to VMware. The offer applies to any Chromebook purchased through eligible Google Chrome OS Management Console resellers and VMware Horizon DaaS Powered Partners or VMware Service Provider Partners, according to VMware. The $200 rebates can be obtained by submitting a claim form and the required proof of performance to http://vmware-google.ccionline.biz.
“This unique solution empowers organizations looking for an alternative to on-premise virtual desktops or application publishing for their Google Chromebooks,” wrote Frieberg. “Unlike traditional desktop virtualization solutions, VMware Horizon DaaS is fast to deploy, requires minimal IT skills and no up-front capital. Since DaaS reduces labor costs compared to traditional on-premise desktop virtualization infrastructure by over 50 percent, organizations can reallocate precious IT resources on projects that matter most to the business.”
Google also announced an additional XP user rebate program, offering a $100 rebate on each managed Chromebook for Business purchased by a company by June 30, according to an April 8 post by Amit Singh, president of Google Enterprise, on the Google Enterprise Blog.
In addition to the VMware DaaS offer, Google also announced that enterprise users who need to access desktop apps can also get Chromebooks for Business and 25 percent off Citrix XenApp Platinum Edition, which includes AppDNA software for accelerating Windows XP migration, he wrote.
Google, VMware Offer $200 Chromebook Rebates for XP Users
Google has been busy with Chromebook announcements in recent months. In February 2014, Google announced its first-ever Chromebox for meetings product, which brings together a desktop Chromebox along with Google Apps and Google+ Hangouts to offer an easy way for far-flung businesspeople to hold meetings with participants around the world.
The new Chromebox for meetings hardware included an Asus Chromebox with an Intel Core i7 processor, a 1080p high-definition Webcam with a Carl Zeiss lens that supports up to 1,920 by 1,080 pixels, a combined microphone and speaker unit, and a remote control unit, according to Google. The device lets users set their meeting rooms up in minutes and manage all meeting rooms from a Web-based management console. Up to 15 people at a time can join in on a Chromebook for meetings.
In January, Toshiba and LG Electronics unveiled new Chromebook devices at the Consumer Electronics Show, including LG’s all-in-one desktop machine, called a Chromebase. The new offerings mean that eight manufacturers are now building Chromebooks around the world.
In June 2013, Google expanded its network of dealers for its Chromebooks by beginning to sell them through Walmart and Staples stores, raising the number of outlets for the devices to some 6,600 stores. The move added the Walmart and Staples stores to the existing Chromebook retail outlets through Best Buy and Amazon.com. Consumers are also able to purchase the machines via Staples online while business users will be able to buy them through the Staples Advantage B2B program.
Chromebooks and their desktop brethren Chromeboxes run Google’s Chrome operating system and feature a wide range of preinstalled, cloud-based Google services and products, including Google Docs and Google Calendar. Chromebooks allow users to do their work online with less need for on-machine storage for large applications and files.
In May 2013, Google began testing Chromebook-equipped store kiosks to make it easier for businesses to help their customers and employees check merchandise stock, place orders or get more information while shopping or working. The kiosks use what Google calls “Managed Public Sessions” to allow employee and customer use of the devices without the need for logging in.