Google is acquiring software virtualization company Cameyo to integrate support for virtualized Windows applications into ChromeOS. Google previously worked closely with Cameyo and is now bringing virtualization experience and technology to its own development, The Verge reports.
Last year, Google partnered with Cameyo to provide virtual support for legacy Windows apps that were integrated into ChromeOS. This included local file system integration, virtual apps, and advanced clipboard support.
Cameyo's Virtual Application Delivery (VAD) integration with ChromeOS is designed for businesses looking to move away from Windows. It allows them to continue running virtualized Windows applications on ChromeOS.
“This acquisition will lead to even deeper integration of these virtualized apps into ChromeOS,” says Cameyo co-founder and CMO Robb Henshaw. “Further integrations will improve not only the end user experience, but also make it even simpler for IT admins to deploy and push those apps out to their users.”
With more and more applications moving to the cloud and web, Google has a great opportunity to encourage companies to consider moving to ChromeOS instead of Windows - especially with Cameyo's improved support for virtualized applications.
Google has set itself the goal of promoting Chromebooks in education and business after a rather lukewarm consumer response to ChromeOS. According to Canalys, in Q2 2023, most of the growth in Chromebook sales came from the US education sector, with US shipments accounting for more than 80% of global Chromebook shipments in Q2 last year.