Install and use Microsoft 365 on Chromebooks and connect the OneDrive cloud storage service to files on those laptops, it will be much easier with improvements to the integration that Google is preparing and which will appear in the Chrome OS Dev and Beta test channels in the coming months.

Google’s strategy may surprise many, given that the company has services that directly compete with Microsoft’s offer. It fits here “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em”. Google Docs and Drive work very well, but Microsoft 365 is a great world standard in the collaboration and productivity suite, and when the Redmond firm launches a budget “Essentials” subscription, other competitors will have a much harder time.

On the other hand, if Chromebooks want to be a real alternative to Windows and Mac computers, they need to have all kinds of capabilities, and there is no doubt that Microsoft’s services are the reference that many users are looking for. Therefore, Google announced that it is working with Microsoft on the offer “A setup wizard experience that simplify the process of installing Microsoft 365 and connecting OneDrive to Chromebook Files».

How this integration works hasn’t been detailed, but Chromebook customers can expect: easier installation than with the current Progressive Web App, plus when you open Microsoft Office files from local storage (such as a USB drive or Downloads folder), you’ll be prompted to set up Microsoft 365 on Chromebook. Files opened using this method are moved to OneDrive, where changes are synced to the cloud.

Google Docs already supports opening and manipulating Office files on Chromebooks, so it’s unclear if this is the case will be another option or if it replaces Docs as the default Office document processing application on Chrome OS laptops. The story is that Google needs to be flexible enough, but not go too far, that it doesn’t penalize its own services.

Reality is stubborn. If a large portion of users want to use Microsoft 365 (especially in commercial and professional areas), Google’s strategy to make it easier while stimulating Chromebook sales is welcome.