CTL® Now a Reseller for Acer and Toshiba Chromebooks!
For many government agencies looking to lower the cost of cloud-based applications, Chromebooks have become an appealing solution for several reasons. Chromebooks are not just for casual computer users —they’ve found their place among business, education and government users who might not need a full desktop operating system. Using Google’s new Chrome OS, these efficient laptops can run desktop apps from the cloud without having to pay for costly software. For government agencies that typically pay a premium price for software and security features, this translates to big savings over time.
The Chromebook solution offers enhanced security features, which is a high priority for governments. Because the Chrome OS is run off a browser, no executable files can be installed. This means the device is protected from malware attacks. When the Chrome OS boots, it uses a process called verified boot to ensure that its firmware has not been tampered with. The Chromebook also creates a private encrypted area for users upon log in so that other users can’t access local data, even if they took out the hard drive. When a new security patch or major version of Chrome is released, the Chromebook will automatically download and install it.
One of the first institutions to deploy Chromebooks was the City of Orlando, which began using them in 2011. In an article by Brad Linder for Liliputing.com, the city’s system administrator stated that employees use the Chrome OS laptops in meetings, while working from home, or just about anywhere else. In addition to running cloud-based apps such as Gmail and Google Docs, the city’s employees are using a new web-based interface for VMware View which allows them to run Windows desktop apps hosted on a remote computer through a web browser, the article states.
The good news for our government and public sector customers is that CTL® is now a certified reseller for Acer and Toshiba Chromebooks. We offer a variety of Chromebook solutions, including touch screen models. To learn more, contact your CTL® sales representative or call us at 800-642-3087.
