Chromebook and Device Case Study: BBB

If you need more proof that the Chromebooks, Chrome devices, and Chromeboxes are built around speed, security, and efficiency, look nor further than the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the hallmark non-profit organization of business and product reporting agencies. Along with Consumer Reports, the BBB is the most trusted source for opinions and advice on companies and products operating within the United States today.

What is the Better Business Bureau?

The Better Business Bureau was founded in 1912 with a mission of advancing marketplace trust. The BBB collects reviews of over 4 million businesses and handles up to 123 million business review requests per year. It has recently also mediated close to 850,000 business-customer disputes per year. Nearly 400,000 businesses support the BBB, their opinions, and their mission. If consumers and businesses in the United States and Canada want to turn to an organization for information they trust on another business or product, they turn to the BBB.

The Chromebook: The Latest in Speed, Security, Simplicity, and Shareability

The BBB realized that they needed Chromebooks to streamline the demands on their understaffed IT personnel. Chromebooks are the Google-powered laptop devices that focus on bringing consumers the best, most up-to-date innovations in speed, security, simplicity, and shareability. They are automatically updated so that the user will always employ the latest in virus protection and the newest features such as Voice Search. The Chromebook is also built to not slow down over time. As it learns your habits and assesses your usage, it gets faster.

To keep you secure Chromebooks and Chrome devices use verified boot help, multiple layers of security, and enhanced virus protection. The Chromebook updates itself for free, thus keeping you from having to manually do so. There is no setup needed on an individual Chromebook. You just log in to your Google account and get started. Just flip it open and begin. Maybe the best feature of a Chromebook is that it runs the newly revised G Suite family of applications.

G Suite: Building a World For and Around Your Computing Needs

G Suite is a group of applications that Google has constructed to work seamlessly across your computer, phone, or tablet. G Suite allows you to do engage in multiple functions simultaneously and from anywhere:

* Communicate: Gmail, Hangouts, Calendar, Google+

* Store: Drive and cloud storage

* Collaborate: Docs, Sheets, Forms, Slides, and Sites

* Manage: Admin, Vault

How did Chromebooks Enhance the Productivity of the Better Business Bureau?

As a non-profit, the BBB office serving Eastern Massachuesetts, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont did not have IT personnel to continuously problem-solve throughout the day. Instead of the CEO serving as IT director, they decided to bring 35 Chromebooks and Chromeboxes for Business on board. A Chromebox is essentially a desktop tower enhanced with G Suite and containing the features that make the Chromebook so attractive.

The BBB had already adopted the Google Apps for Work (now G Suite) and had seen firsthand a rise in efficiency throughout their organization. According to Lisa Ventura, VP of Accounting and Administration for the BBB, “We love collaborating on documents and managing our emails, which Google Apps made so simple.”

In a report recently released by the Better Business Bureau, Ventura listed the reasons Chromebooks and Chromeboxes have improved her organization:

• They appreciated the sandboxing and data encryption features of a security system that is constantly updating itself
• Apps for specific employees and departments can be preloaded, while others can be restricted
• Savings! The BBB reported saving $900 per user by purchasing Chromeboxes with software over other brands with added software costs. The office reporting had 50 employees. That was a savings of approximately $50,000.
• The BBB’s use of G Suite applications completely eliminated their need for document and email servers. Not having those devices also meant not maintaining those devices, and the costs thereof.
• They could work anywhere. Anywhere they go, G Suite, along with their own data, awaits them at their fingertips.

The Better Business Bureau was convinced to move to Chromebooks and Chromeboxes after witnessing first-hand the success of the G Suite applications across the board within their organization. They are currently planning to switch out all of their laptops and desktops to Chromebooks and Chromeboxes. They were encouraged when reporting that businesses across the country were coming to them for advice on converting to Chrome.

Conversion has been made simpler by Google, yet it can still bring challenges that are unseen. To answer those challenges, you may need a third-party Google Apps for Work / G Suite partner who can not only offer fixes, but who can also train on-site. With their help and the latest in Chromebook and Chromebox technology, your company will run faster, more securely, and more efficiently as productivity continues to rise.