Even though the PC market is in decline, Google seems to want a piece of the pie. For example, the company recently unveiled a conference-focused Chromebox, a compact desktop computer running Chrome OS, that should appeal to companies looking for a cheap conferencing solution that can also browse the Web and access Google Apps. Google’s latest move, though, is an even more focused attack on the PC market.

By partnering with VMware, Google is aiming to “modernize corporate desktops for the Mobile Cloud Era” by providing businesses with secure cloud access to Windows applications, data and desktops on Google Chromebooks. That’s right, through the power of virtualization, Chrome OS laptops will be able to leverage all the benefits of a Windows desktop environment with none of the risks.

This is a bold move, to be sure, but not an altogether surprising one. After all, Google created Chrome OS for the PC market and competing in the PC market means taking on Microsoft at its own game. Even the timing makes sense, when you think about it. With Windows XP’s end of life on the horizon, many companies will be willing to deploy Chromebooks since they’ll have to look into upgrading anyway. Why wouldn’t they consider a cheaper, more secure option?

"Google Chromebooks can save businesses about $5,000 per computer when compared to traditional PCs," said Amit Singh, president of Google Enterprise, in a statement. "Chromebooks are designed for the way people use computers today and are a secure, easy and cost-effective solution to help organizations embrace a new way of doing business. Through our partnership with VMware, businesses can now capitalize on these advantages with access to legacy applications, data and desktops they need to keep employees productive."

Initially, Google and VMware will offer their joint solution as an on-premise service, but it will also be delivered as a fully managed, subscription DaaS offering via VMware and other vCloud Service Provider Partners later on. The experience should be relatively seamless, providing users access to their Windows apps, data and desktops using VMware’s Blast HTML5 technology from a Web-based app catalog on a Chromebook.