Google acquires Neverware, a company that turns old laptops into Chromebook-like devices

Google has officially acquired Neverware, a company that takes otherwise old PCs including laptops and desktops and converting them into Chromebook-like devices. Currently, the company is using its own CloudReady operating system that is built on the open source Chromium OS. The Google acquisition now means that future laptops and PCs that it effectively recycles will start shipping with Chrome OS on board and official Google support.

In a statement to 9to5Google, Google had this to say:

We can confirm that the Neverware team is joining the Google Chrome OS team. As we continue to support customers with their transition to the cloud, Neverware has offered a valuable solution, CloudReady, that allows customers to unlock the manageability, speed, and productivity of a Chrome device. Following our partnership over the past few years, we’re looking forward to working more closely with the team to support more customers in their transition to deploy Chrome OS.

The acquisition aligns well with Google’s strategic objectives for Chrome OS and from an environmental perspective. The Neverware solution offers significant appeal to companies and schools that have previously invested in Windows but saves them from reinvesting in new hardware. With Google services on board, overall licensing and IT service charges should also be dramatically cut. Naturally, it also means a reduction in e-waste as many of these devices might otherwise have ended up in landfill.