A prominent coalition of technology leaders, featuring companies like Google, Box, Citrix, Dell, Imprivata, Intel, Okta, RingCentral, Slack, VMware and Zoom, has jointly announced the formation of the Modern Computing Alliance.

The core objective of this newly established alliance is to “advance innovation from the hardware level to the cloud for the advantage of business clients— fostering a distinct modern computing environment and offering expanded options for integrated business solutions.”

The phrasing of this objective statement suggests a deliberate attempt to convey a concept using extensive wording without direct clarity.

The underlying purpose of the alliance centers on facilitating the adoption of Chrome and Chrome OS within enterprise environments, despite the absence of explicit mentions of Chrome on the alliance’s website and among its partners. According to a Google representative, “The alliance is dedicated to promoting innovation and compatibility within the Google Chrome ecosystem, broadening choices for enterprise users and addressing key technological hurdles faced by businesses today.”

The choice of the name Modern Computing Alliance, rather than a more direct designation like Chrome Enterprise Alliance, is noteworthy. This naming decision also clarifies the absence of Microsoft among the initial membership, although the possibility of future additions remains open.

Under Google’s leadership, the alliance will concentrate on delivering contemporary web applications to the enterprise sector, prioritizing aspects such as performance, security, identity control, and enhanced productivity. These applications are designed to function optimally with Chrome and Chrome OS, ensuring seamless interoperability.

“The technology sector is evolving towards an accessible, diverse ecosystem that supports flexible choices while maintaining integration across all layers. This shift presents both challenges and opportunities,” states John Solomon, VP of Chrome OS at Google.

As organizations increasingly migrate to cloud-based systems, the development of improved web applications—and potentially progressive web applications that rival native solutions—is a valuable undertaking. It is encouraging to see these companies collaborating, particularly given the heightened urgency brought about by recent global events. The alliance intends to unveil products—the specific nature of which remains unspecified—during the first six months of 2021. It is hoped that these offerings will be compatible with a variety of web browsers. Many such “alliances” do not achieve lasting impact, so continued observation of this group’s progress is warranted.

Bonus: The technology industry has a considerable history of collaborative alliances. This article from 1991 details a CPU alliance involving Intel, IBM, MIPS, and other companies.