Google, which was known as one of the few companies flexible enough to let its employees use an operating system of their choice, now tells all new employees to choose between Apple’s Mac OS and Linux – and not Windows OS, according to the latest report from the Financial Times.
Having suspended the use of Windows OS because of security concerns towards the end of last year, Google is publicly stating that the security problems with Windows and the China hacking fiasco are behind this decision. Its 10,000 employees are being moved off Windows.
According to sources, Google continued to use Windows because some of its employees preferred Windows machines. Even today, some employees who cannot do without Windows may continue to use Windows, but have to obtain special permission.
Google CEO Eric Schmidt revealed at a Google seminar in April that Google will steer all employees toward Chrome OS systems, because they are inherently more secure than other operating systems.
Google and Microsoft being competitors in several areas, this move may seem like a dig at Microsoft, but according to reports, one of the reasons for Google banning Windows could very well be to promote Chrome OS among its employees. Since a majority of the employees at Google prefer Macs, Google is said to be treading carefully by banning Windows instead of Macs.
Whatever the reasons, it remains to be seen how Microsoft reacts to this. Will Balmer respond in kind by not letting his employees use some of the Google services?
