Google Enterprise is being rebranded Google for Work as the internet giant pays more attention to the bring your own device (BYOD) movement and no doubt in response to Apple’s big alliance with IBM.
Google for Work will encompass Google Apps, such as Drive and Gmail, as well as Android, Chromebooks and Maps.
Each group that focuses on BYOD and enterprise will be rebranded with the ‘For Work’ badge.
The move is in response to the fact cloud computing is now nearly universal in the business world and the sheer technological firepower in the hands of a smartphone or tablet-toting worker is beyond anything imaginable a decade ago.
The move could also be prompted by consumer tech giant Apple’s new alliance with tech titan IBM, which will see Big Blue become a partner of choice in the rollout of iOS devices across businesses worldwide.
In its own right, Google has become a significant enterprise player and more than 5m businesses around the world, including 64pc of Fortune 500 businesses, use its software to manage their affairs.
Not only this, but more than 1m Chromebook devices have been sold to schools in the second quarter of this year.
Google never set out to build a traditional enterprise business
“Work today is very different from 10 years ago. Cloud computing, once a new idea, is abundantly available, and collaboration is possible across offices, cities, countries and continents,” Google chairman Eric Schmidt wrote in a blog post.
“Ideas can go from prototype to development to launch in a matter of days. Working from a computer, tablet or phone is no longer just a trend – it’s a reality. And millions of companies, large and small, have turned to Google’s products to help them launch, build and transform their businesses, and help their employees work the way they live. In other words, work is already better than it used to be.
“But technology for the workplace isn’t just about a better way of doing business. It’s about empowering anyone, whether they’re a developer with an idea in their basement or a baker with a better cupcake or a company with thousands of employees, to have an impact.
“We never set out to create a traditional ‘enterprise’ business – we wanted to create a new way of doing work.
“So the time has come for our name to catch up with our ambition. As of today, what was called Google Enterprise is now, simply, Google for Work. When we use the tools that make our lives easier – Google Apps, Maps, Search, Chrome, Android, Cloud Platform and more – work gets better. And that’s what we’re working on – the best of Google, now for work,” Schmidt wrote.
