Neverware#CloudReady

File:Jonathan Hefter.png

Jonathan Hefter began developing Neverware's core technology in 2009{{cite news|last=Popper|first=Ben|title=Neverware hopes to save cash-strapped schools millions by making old PCs run like new|url=https://www.theverge.com/2012/12/11/3741158/neverware-school-juicebox-old-pcs-like-new|access-date=20 June 2013|newspaper=The Verge|date=2012-12-11}} after graduating from Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania.{{cite news|last=Shontell|first=Alyson|title=An Admirable New Startup, Neverware, Has Raised $1 Million To Try And Save Schools A Lot Of Money|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/neverware-juicebox-2012-12#ixzz2WaoJe63T|access-date=21 June 2013|newspaper=Business Insider|date=2012-12-12}} In May 2010, Dogpatch Labs invited Hefter to work out of their Manhattan incubator,{{cite news|title=Neverware Means Never Buying a Computer Again|url=http://observer.com/2011/01/neverware-means-never-buying-a-new-computer-again/|access-date=21 June 2013|newspaper=The New York Observer|date=2011-01-20}} and in early 2011 Neverware officially formed, moved to General Assembly's Manhattan location,{{cite news|last=Shontell|first=Alyson|title=The 25 Hot New York City Startups You Need To Watch|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/the-best-25-hidden-gems-of-nyc-startups-2011-5?op=1#ixzz2WaoZE3MT|access-date=21 June 2013|newspaper=Business Insider|date=2011-06-07}} and began operations. Hefter remains at Neverware as chairman.{{Cite web|url=https://www.neverware.com/about#meet-the-team|title=About us}}

After a successful pilot program, Neverware launched in January 2013, rolling out its first product—the desktop virtualization platform PCReady—at schools in the New York City area.{{cite news|last=Crook|first=Jordan|date=2013-05-20|title=Neverware Raises $1M To Keep Schools' Computers Quick Like Lightning|newspaper=TechCrunch|url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/05/20/neverware-raises-1m-to-keep-schools-computers-quick-like-lightning/|access-date=21 June 2013}} The product primarily targeted the K-12 school market, as a means of refurbishing older computers in preparation for wider rollouts of electronic standardized tests.{{Cite web|last=Popper|first=Ben|date=2016-02-17|title=How schools around the country are turning dead Microsoft PCs into speedy Chromebooks|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/2/17/11030406/neverware-google-chromebook-chromium-os-education-microsoft|access-date=2020-12-21|website=The Verge|language=en-US}} By 2015, PCReady had been adopted at 10% of New York City's schools.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2015-02-04|title=Cloudy with a Chance of (Great) Performance: Neverware Heads to the Cloud|url=https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-02-04-cloudy-with-a-chance-of-great-performance-neverware-heads-to-the-cloud|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-12-21|website=EdSurge|language=en}}

While early reception to PCReady was positive, it faced competition in the education market from Google's ChromeOS ecosystem (including Chromebooks), which leveraged cloud services and lightweight hardware. In response, Neverware began developing a fork of Google's open-source ChromiumOS, known as CloudReady, which was designed to "bring the benefits that many school are realizing with products like Chromebooks to a much wider group of schools for a lower price".

In October 2017, Neverware announced that Google would lead its Series B round of investment as a strategic partner and investor.

In March 2018, Neverware announced it would acquire Flint Innovations, the UK-based company behind Flint OS, another offshoot of ChromiumOS.{{Cite web|title=Neverware to Acquire Flint Innovations, Creators of Flint OS|url=https://www.neverware.com/pressrelease-03-06-2018}}

On December 16, 2020, Neverware announced that it had been acquired by Google, and that its employees would join the main ChromeOS team. The company stated that there would be no immediate changes to the CloudReady product.{{Cite web|last=Chin|first=Monica|date=2020-12-16|title=Google acquires Neverware, a company that turns old PCs into Chromebooks|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/16/22179242/google-neverware-chromebook-laptops-chrome-os-software|access-date=2020-12-21|website=The Verge|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Salter|first=Jim|date=2020-12-16|title=Google bought CloudReady, the largest ChromiumOS distribution|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/12/google-acquired-neverware-makers-of-cloudready-chromeos-variant/|access-date=2020-12-16|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us}} In July 2022, Google released ChromeOS Flex, an official offshoot of ChromeOS with a similar focus to CloudReady.{{Cite web|last=Cunningham|first=Andrew|date=2022-02-16|title=Chrome OS Flex is an ideal off-ramp for millions of PCs that can't run Windows 11|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/02/chromeos-flex-is-an-ideal-off-ramp-for-millions-of-pcs-that-cant-run-windows-11/|access-date=2022-02-18|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us}}{{Cite web |last=Warren |first=Tom |date=2022-07-14 |title=Google's Chrome OS Flex is now available for old PCs and Macs |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/14/23215019/google-chrome-os-flex-operating-system-pc-mac-available |access-date=2022-07-14 |website=The Verge |language=en}}

Neverware's first product, PCReady, was a multiseat desktop virtualization platform, seeking to convert older computers to Windows 7–based thin clients using its remotely-managed "Juicebox" server appliance.{{cite news|last=Watters|first=Audrey|date=2011-01-29|title=Neverware Breathes New Life Into Schools' Aging Computers|newspaper=readwrite|url=http://readwrite.com/2011/01/29/neverware_breathes_new_life_into_schools_aging_com#awesm=~o9e55CHQVuoKyp|access-date=21 June 2013}} The platform was sold as a subscription service per-client.

Neverware's second product, CloudReady, was a distribution of ChromiumOS targeting users and organizations wanting to install the software on existing computers. The commercial version of the product could be managed using Google's existing enterprise tools, allowing surplus hardware to be used in tandem with ChromeOS devices.{{Cite web|last=Popper|first=Ben|date=2017-10-11|title=Google invests in Neverware, a startup that's turning dead PCs into Chromebooks|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/11/16455490/google-invest-neverware-chromebooks-refurbish|access-date=2020-12-21|website=The Verge|language=en}}

Neverware was backed by a variety of technology and venture capital firms. Investors included Google, Khosla Ventures, Upfront Ventures, Thrive Capital, General Catalyst Partners, Collaborative Fund, OurCrowd, and Mark Suster.

Neverware had received media attention for its investment from Google,{{Cite web|date=Oct 11, 2017|title=Google invests in Neverware, a startup that's turning dead PCs into Chromebooks|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/11/16455490/google-invest-neverware-chromebooks-refurbish}} young founder,{{cite news|last=Cannon|first=Lauren|title=CEO Passions: Volunteer Firefighting|url=http://www.inc.com/magazine/20110501/ceo-passions-volunteer-firefighting.html|access-date=24 June 2013|newspaper=Inc.|date=May 2011}} noteworthy cause,{{cite news|last=Shontell|first=Alyson|date=2011-09-02|title=Hey Young, Hot New Yorkers: Why Aren't You Building Useful Businesses?|newspaper=Business Insider|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/generation-y-startups-2011-9|access-date=21 June 2013}} and projected viability. It had also attracted interest for its potential for reducing Ewaste by extending the lifespan of aging hardware.{{cite news|last=Kalan|first=Jonathan|title=Juicebox: Squeezing new life into old computers|url=http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130717-squeezing-new-life-into-computers/3|access-date=17 July 2013|newspaper=BBC Future|date=2013-07-17|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725170151/http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130717-squeezing-new-life-into-computers/3|archive-date=25 July 2013}} Neverware had appeared in the Wall Street Journal,{{Cite news|title=Revive Your Old Laptop Without Spending a Dime|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/revive-your-old-laptop-without-spending-a-dime-1456945920}} the Boston Globe,{{Cite news|title=If you have Windows 7 on your computer, read this|work=The Boston Globe|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2020/01/17/you-have-windows-your-computer-read-this/co4txvDyK5oOKDawYacRSM/story.html}} the Guardian,{{Cite news|title=I'm still on Windows 7 – what should I do?|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2020/jan/16/im-still-on-windows-7-what-should-i-do}} Forbes.com,{{cite news|title=Up-and-Comers|url=https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2012/0423/leaderboard-up-comers-tabanca-hefter-baffico-style-hunter-hacker-rainmaker.html|access-date=24 June 2013|newspaper=Forbes|date=2012-04-04}} The New York Times,{{cite news|last=Lipinski|first=Jed|title=We're One Big team, So Run Those Stairs|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/31/business/crossfit-offers-an-exercise-in-corporate-teamwork-too.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&|access-date=24 June 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=2013-03-30}} TechCrunch, The Verge, Engadget,{{cite news|last=Hollister|first=Sean|title=Neverware's Juicebox 100 squeezes new life into aging school computers (video)|url=https://www.engadget.com/2011/01/24/neverwares-juicebox-100-squeezes-new-life-into-aging-school-com/|access-date=3 July 2013|newspaper=Engadget|date=2011-01-24}} and The MIT Technology Review.{{cite news|last=Dickinson|first=Boonsri|title=Making Old Computers Feel Brand New|url=http://www.technologyreview.com/news/422529/making-old-computers-feel-brand-new/#comments|access-date=3 July 2013|newspaper=MIT Technology Review|date=2011-01-27}} Neverware had also been repeatedly recognized as being a great place to work by organizations such as Crain's New York, Built in NYC, Business Intelligence Group, and Great Place to Work.{{Cite web|title=Neverware Accolades|url=https://www.neverware.com/about#our-accolades}}

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Category:American companies established in 2011

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