Google acquires Cameyo to integrate Windows app virtualization into ChromeOS

Google acquires Cameyo to integrate Windows app virtualization into ChromeOS

Google is acquiring software virtualization company Cameyo to deeply integrate virtualized Windows app support into ChromeOS. Google was already working closely with Cameyo, and now it's bringing this important virtualization expertise and technology in-house.

Google partnered with Cameyo last year to provide a virtual application experience for legacy Windows desktop apps integrated into ChromeOS. This included local file system integration, virtual apps as progressive web apps, and even improved clipboard support.

Cameyo's Virtual App Delivery (VAD) integration into ChromeOS is designed for businesses that want to move away from Windows or even incorporate some ChromeOS devices into their business. It allows businesses to continue running virtualized Windows apps on ChromeOS without exposing the full version of Windows so that apps feel like they're running on ChromeOS alongside Chrome and other web apps.

"This acquisition will enable even greater integration of these virtualized apps into ChromeOS," Cameyo co-founder and CMO Rob Henshaw said in a statement to The Verge. "Further integration will not only improve the end user experience, but will also make it even easier for IT admins to deploy those apps and deliver them to their users."

As more and more apps are moving to cloud and web-based technologies, Google has a huge opportunity to attract more businesses to consider ChromeOS instead of Windows — especially with improved virtualized app support from Cameyo.

Google is on a mission to push Chromebooks in education and business after a lukewarm response from consumers to ChromeOS. According to Canalys, most of Google's Chromebook growth has come from the US education sector, with US shipments accounting for more than 80 percent of global Chromebook shipments in the second quarter of 2023.