Google is promising a better collaboration between its Chrome OS, Chromebooks, and Microsoft 365, an uncommon dedication on condition that the 2 corporations are normally fierce rivals within the productiveness area.

Google mentioned just lately that the corporate will migrate customers to a “new integration later this year on Chrome OS, making it easier to install the app and open files.”

For most functions, Chrome OS capabilities as a primarily web-based expertise. Currently, Chrome OS permits customers to open Office apps as Progressive Web Apps, or PWAs, that are basically internet apps that may be saved and run domestically on a PC. The new integration, as Google describes it, will join the OS extra seamlessly with each Office 365 and Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud.

“Users will be offered a guided setup experience that takes them through the process of installing the Microsoft 365 web app and connecting Microsoft OneDrive to their Chromebook Files app,” Google mentioned in a blog post. “Files will be moved to Microsoft OneDrive when opening in the Microsoft 365 app.”

The latter addition is especially attention-grabbing, on condition that Google normally considers its cloud to be intently tied to its Workspace functions, as does Microsoft. By integrating OneDrive with the Files app, nevertheless, the method of transferring, viewing, and in any other case managing OneDrive information might be rather a lot simpler than attempting to navigate a number of interfaces. It’s value noting, too, that OneDrive is now intently built-in inside the File Explorer app inside Windows.

Google mentioned that it plans to formally launch the brand new expertise within the coming months, although it is going to permit testers in its developer and beta channels to check out this system earlier. The story was reported earlier by The Verge.

Microsoft has additionally been significantly delicate to Chromebooks encroaching on low-end Windows laptops, even designing a number of variations of its Windows working system to take them on. Windows 10X, whose interface was repurposed to create Windows 11, was finally cancelled. Microsoft pitched Windows 11 SE as its latest Chromebook killer, although only for the training market. That’s struggled, too. Microsoft nonetheless advertises its Surface Laptop SE for $249.99, although simply three of the eight resellers Microsoft lists on its web site seem to really promote it: Connection, Douglas Stewart, and Insight.

But it’s attainable that Microsoft is just adapting the technique it adopted in smartphones to Chrome OS. For years, Windows 10 Mobile was Microsoft’s foray into the cellular area. When Windows 10 Mobile went below, Microsoft modified techniques; right this moment, Microsoft has developed many cellular functions for Android telephones and tablets, together with Office. Having discovered success with that “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” technique, Chrome OS is outwardly subsequent on the checklist.