Google Inc. is looking to make Chrome OS more widespread in the enterprise.

To that end, the company has today introduced a new service that enables companies to centrally manage employee devices running the operating system. It’s dubbed Chrome Enterprise and costs $50 per device per year. The offering is a successor to the Chromebooks for Work bundle launched in 2014 that incorporates several extra features designed to simplify administration.

Perhaps the most significant enhancement is integration with Microsoft Corp.’s Active Directory. Now, companies that rely on the popular access management platform can let workers log into their Chromebooks with the credentials they use for internal applications. As a result, administrators are spared the hassle of creating separate accounts for Chrome OS devices.

Another new addition that could go an even longer way toward easing operations is support for VMware Inc.’s Workplace ONE. It’s a device management service that offers the ability to set rules for how workers may interact with their devices. Administrators can restrict application access based on various security considerations, as well as provide conveniences such as custom service catalogs tailored for each department.

Google will likely add more integrations over time as it works to make Chrome OS more appealing to businesses. The new capabilities in Chrome Enterprise expand upon the already extensive feature set brought over from Chromebooks for Work, which covers many of the same areas as Workplace ONE.

Google also offers more specialized features meant to help companies make better use of their Chromebooks. Among them is a “kiosk mode” aimed at situations when Chrome OS device is used in public-facing capacities, for example as a digital registration terminal at a conference venue.

The affordability of low-end Chromebooks makes the platform well-suited for such use cases. Meanwhile, more expensive models such as the $819 HP Chromebook 13 are gaining traction among business workers.

This combination of versatility and low cost is also the reason why Chrome OS has become such a hit in the classroom, too. But there, Google’s position is being contested by Microsoft Corp., which entered the ring in May with Windows 10 S, a slimmed-down version of Windows 10 intended to be easier to secure and manage.

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