The day many people might have been dreading is finally here. Its the end of an era as Windows XP meets its maker after 13 years. Windows XP happens to be one of the most popular OS iterations from Microsoft, so much so that even now nearly 30 percent of all PCs around the world are still running it. Since Microsoft will no longer offer support for XP, these users have to switch. Its relatively easy if you’re an individual user, but a massive headache if you’re a business with dozens of machines. Google offers a solution that sees it selling a lot more Chromebooks.
Until June 30, Google is offering $100 off of each managed device a company purchases through Chromebooks for Business. Moreover, it has even partnered with VMware and CItrix for additional offers, just for business users. Chromebooks are increasingly becoming popular due to their price and ability to run on low-end hardware. Since the OS is cloud based, it may not be a great option for businesses based in markets with unreliable internet.
However, Microsoft still has a major advantage. Its not easy to move people off the familiarity of Windows and Microsoft Office, which is one of the most widely used productivity suites. Chromebooks offer similar functionality, but diehard Office users might never be too compelled to switch.
As businesses rush to upgrade from Windows XP, the UK and Dutch governments have paid Microsoft millions to receive an extra year of support, provided that they upgrade to a newer Windows iteration within this extra year.
Filed in . Read more about Chromebooks, Google and Windows Xp.