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Chromebook Price Drop

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Samsung, this week, lowered the price of the Series-3 Chromebook from $249 to $219. With the Chrome Management Service, the inclusive price is $249, a $30 savings.

Through October 31st, we are offering additional savings.

  • With a minimum order of 10 devices, Samsung Series-3 Chromebooks with the management console are $239.85 each.
  • With an order of 30 or more devices, we will take 5% off an accompanying charging and storage cart.

To request a formal quote, please complete the form, below:

 

Google Extends “End of Life” for ALL Chrome Devices

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Google is updating the official “End of Life” policy for all Chrome devices, including retroactive coverage to previous models.

This change extends the minimum “End of Life” (EOL) term from 3 years to 5 years, adding at least 2 additional years of automatic Chrome and security updates.  When a device’s EOL term is reached, Google no longer guarantees Chrome updates will be provided.

The new minimum EOL term is now 5 years from the date the device hardware is made available for purchase. Some models may have a further extension based on regional releases and the length of sale. Google will be updating the EOL policy and projected dates on the Chrome OS End of Life Policy page soon to reflect this change.

Who Will Use the Chromebook Pixel? Maybe You!

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Chromebook PixelLast week, Google announced the Chromebook Pixel, a high end laptop running Chrome OS and designed for users that work in the cloud.  The unit is HD audio and video, a dual-core Celeron i5 processor, and up to 32 GB of solid state storage.  The 12.86″ touchscreen has an unusual, but very useful, 3:2 aspect ratio, which beats Apple’s Retina displays in terms of pixel density.

At $1,299 for a WiFi model and $1,499 for the LTE version, some in the tech press  question who would buy the Pixel.  Others, like us, see the value proposition.

We see the LTE model as extremely useful, particularly given the 1TB of free Google Drive space you get for 3 years with the system.   Why?  The aggregation of features make this device a perfect replacement for professionals and other knowledge workers that live and work via the web — in the cloud.

Connectivity

According to Ookla, my 4G LTE smartphone gets 30 Mbps on download and 18 Mbps on the upload.  That’s almost identical to the 35 Mbps symmetric FIOS line that serves an office of eight web-heavy users.  The Pixel LTE gives you high-speed, ubiquitous access to the Internet so you can work in the cloud without working about hot spots and performance.

Compatibility

With QuickOffice installed, you can bring in, access, and edit your legacy MS Office applications without blinking an eye.  The “hurdle” of moving away from MS Office just dropped to the ground.

Convenience

The LTE model has 64 GB of local storage — plenty of capacity for working off-line when cellular service is blocked and WiFi is not available (planes, trains, etc).  And, unless you are streaming videos or playing on-line games, the battery should give you about 5 hours of useful work (enough to cross the country).

Integration

With 1TB of Google Drive storage per device/user, the Chromebook Pixel provides enough storage for most small and mid-size businesses.  And, with Google Apps as its base, you can integrate your business applications and tools to ensure your data is protected and secure.

If you still need access to Windows-only legacy apps, we can provide you a virtual desktop that runs in a Chrome tab.

If you …

  • Work in the cloud
  • Leverage the capabilities of Google Apps
  • Use web-based and cloud applications to run your business

… the Chromebook Pixel may be right for you.

 

Cumulus Global Publishes Google Accessibility Overview

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As more businesses, schools, government offices, and non-profits move to cloud computing and Google Apps, user accessibility becomes and important part of the evaluation, selection, and implementation processes.  To help organizations understand and plan for accessibility, Cumulus Global has published a Google Accessibility Overview report covering Google Apps, Chrome, and Chromebook / Chromebox devices.

“Accessibility goes beyond ADA and Section 508 compliance, it is about enabling individuals to work to their full potential,” notes Allen Falcon, CEO of Cumulus Global.  “Our intent is to make it easier for organizations to understand how Google products and services fit with their accessibility needs.”

The report provides current information, along with links to all source materials so that readers may track updates and new capabilities over time.  The report is available for free at: http://goo.gl/sfu66.

Cumulus Global Launches Chromebook Services

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Boston, MA – December 12, 2011 – Cumulus Global announced a new suite of Chromebook services for schools, non-profits, businesses, and governments.  As a Authorized Chromebook Reseller, Cumulus Global is better able to help organizations integrate the low cost, maintenance free laptops into cloud and legacy computing environments.  In additional to selling the Chromebooks bundled with a powerful management console, Cumulus Global delivers the planning, implementation, migration, training, and support services that ensure a successful deployment.

“We see growing demand from schools, non-profits, and businesses that have stepped into cloud computing and see greater potential”, noted Allen Falcon, CEO of Cumulus Global.  “Both the WiFi and 3G-enabled Chromebooks provide one of the most cost-effective ways to put real computing power in the hands of students and teachers, employees, volunteers, and other cloud-connected users.”

Cumulus Global is partnering with other solution providers to help customers use Chromebooks for more than Google Apps and access to web-based applications.  Terminal services, Virtual Desktop, and tools like AccessNow and the Citrix Receiver for Chromebooks provide users with easy access to traditional desktop and client-server applications.

“With Chromebooks in play, we expect to see new growth in the use of Virtual Desktop Integration (VDI) services”, added Falcon. “The value proposition that many analysts have found missing with VDI services exists with Chromebooks.  The low entry price, built in 3G option, and policy push address the hardware cost, connectivity cost, and management costs head-on.”

Built for cloud connectivity, Chromebooks clear user data and policies after each user session.  Policies reload with each 10-second boot and user login, dramatically reducing the typical overhead in managing system images.

Cumulus Global has a limited number of demonstration systems currently available for loan and trial to school districts subscribed to Google Apps for Education.

For More Information, contact sales@Cumulus Global.com

I Love My New Chromebook, but …

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As we prepare to offer Chromebooks to schools and SMEs, our first unit has arrived.  Never has setting up a new computing device been so simple.  Once you power up, the OS walks you through connecting to your wireless network and downloading the latest Chrome OS updates.

Enter your Google Apps username and password, and you are up and running.

We are using the Samsung 5 WiFi edition.  The keyboard is fine, but compact.  Performance is superb as is screen, audio, and video quality (through the built-in camera).  Boot up takes ~8 seconds and coming out of sleep is instant.  A far cry from the coffee break required when returning from Standby on my Windows laptop.

I love it, but ….  it does take some adjustment.

ChromeOS is an OS in a browser.  There is no “closing” the browser to see your desktop.  Your “desktop” is the new tab screen, with your applications listed in a logical order.

There is local storage, about 50GB, and the ability to use USB and SD cards for more space.  The local storage is not like a traditional hard drive.  There is no letter, it is simply accessed through the browser.

Google could make moving to Chromebooks easier with a few changes to Google Apps and Gmail in particular.   When composing emails, Gmail has an “Attach File” link that assumes you are loading a file from local storage.  I suggest that Gmail should also have a “Share Doc” link that lets you browse your Google Docs collections and select links to include/attach in the message.  If I am moving to the cloud, make sharing content from the cloud the default.

Aside from that, I find the Chromebook more useful for working on the go than my iPad, as I prefer the Chrome browser interface to the mail, calendar, and ‘mini browser’ interfaces on the iPad.

Let me know what you think.
–Allen

Horizon offers Support for Chromebooks Now

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In an interview with CRN, published today, Horizon Info Services confirmed that we are prepared to help organizations plan for, deploy, and support Google Chrombooks.   While organizations must currently purchase Chromebooks directly from Google, Horizon’s professional services team can assist with the planning, deployment, and support efforts.

Once trusted partners are able to offer the Chromebooks directly, Horizon will also resell and support them directly.