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The search giant isn’t offering Windows to new employees, according to a report in today’s Financial Times. Why the cold shoulder?
The swap stems from lingering security concerns after Google’s databases were compromised in China. In April, hackers were able to access Google data about some Chinese dissident leaders, a vulnerability made possible in part by a flaw in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser.
In response, Google has begun to move away from using Microsoft products in the workplace. “We’re not doing any more Windows. It is a security effort,” a Google employee told the Financial Times. Employees now reportedly get the choice of using a Mac or a computer equipped with the free, open-source operating system Linux. Google did not officially confirm the report.
Google plans to release its own operating system, Chrome OS, likely by the end of this year. Google already has a competing browser with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, also dubbed Chrome.