Google Chrome OS - I told you so

The Google Chrome OS announcement is a 'I told you so' moment for me. Nothing pleases an analytical mind than when the prediction borne out of analysis turns out to be true. There are enough doubters, doubting motives, timings of this announcement. But I always thought this would happen. Google is not at war with Microsoft, rather it is enabling the uptake of 'the Cloud'. As for enterprises, I see every reason to latch on to this trend. This presents an opportunity for enterprises to free themselves from clutches of desktop OS, its incessant upgrade cycles, security vulnerabilities and limitations it imposes.

I remember a conversation I had with one of my friends regarding the same subject just after Chrome browser came out. When Chrome browser came out, every one was treating Chrome as just another browser and questioning need for one more browser. Then I had stuck my neck out and contended that it was not just a browser but a prelude of things to come. It was indeed a light-weight front-end to a light-weight desktop OS. I was not sure how fast this would happen. It looks like it is happening faster than I thought. And my second contention is that it will enable enterprises move to the Cloud, faster.

In my opinion the consumer market will be conquered by the smart phone and netbook. The enterprises on the other hand will only need netbook class devices than smart phones, but not with the bloated OS of yore. Chrome OS with a netbook class device will be a perfect choice for enterprises. Current legacy can be hauled off to cloud and exposed as a plug-in on Chrome browser. And there is no reason why back-end services, yet to be built and which will reside in the Cloud, need to be provided only by Google. In fact, this Chrome OS - with open standards based front-end, will bring in much more transparency and Independence from OS, for service providers. Chrome OS, in essence is taking desktop OS out of equation within enterprise IT.

Coming to think of Chrome OS, it has potential to change the enterprise IT, the way switching technology changed telecommunications. Now in the days of packet switched network, circuit switching looks so much of a retarded idea, even though it was the only possibility during initial days of telecommunication. But when packet switching became practical it changed telecommunication beyond recognition; changing the architecture and business models. Similarly a computing device capable of doing everything locally and storing all it needed - locally, looks so 'Stone' age in the age of ubiquitous network connectivity and elastic compute/storage capacity. In that sense Chrome OS with a browser front-end is set to change the architecture and business models of enterprise IT forever. Desktop OS had its run, now its time for it to move on and vacate the place for Chrome OS. Mind you demise of dominance of desktop OS does not necessarily translate into demise of Microsoft, the same way the demise of dominance of mainframes did not kill IBM.

Indeed we live in interesting times. We have an year to prepare and fine tune our strategies and architectures. Don't miss on this opportunity.