Neverware
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| Technology, Virtualization | |
| Industry | Education Technology |
| Founded | New York, USA (January 2011) |
| Founder | Jonathan Hefter |
| Headquarters | Manhattan, USA |
| Website | www |
Neverware is a Google-backed, VC-backed technology company that provides a service intended to make aging PCs faster and more secure. In February 2015 the company launched its second product, CloudReady; an operating system built on Google's open-source operating system Chromium. CloudReady can be installed on PCs and Macs up to 10 years old in order to speed them up and make them perform like a Chromebook. CloudReady machines can even be managed in the Google Admin Console, which is a true line of demarcation from just installing Chrome. It was founded by CEO Jonathan Hefter and currently specializes in the education sector. It is headquartered in the Flatiron District of Manhattan.
Hefter began developing Neverware’s core technology in 2009 after graduating from Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania. In May 2010 Dogpatch Labs invited Hefter to work out of their Manhattan incubator, and in early 2011 Neverware officially formed, moved to General Assembly’s Manhattan location, and began operations.
After a successful pilot program, Neverware launched in January 2013, rolling its service out around New York City. CloudReady was released at the 2015 TCEA conference in Texas, indicating a broader national reach on the part of the company. Within weeks the product was picked up by education bloggers. The new Neverware product is clearly staying true to the company and Hefter's original vision to connect students with equitable, quality access to technology, and obviously their product development strategy identified Google as a major force in the education landscape, as well as a strategic partner/investor, as of Google's investment in Neverware in the Fall of 2017.
Neverware’s first product, now branded PCReady, revolves around their proprietary server computer, called a Juicebox, which generates thin clients – a special kind of virtual machine. The Juicebox, which is installed locally, handles all processing and computing tasks and relegates only simple display and input tasks to the user’s machine. This is at the heart of Neverware’s business model, as it allows for outdated and even some broken technology to provide full functionality.
The current model Juicebox is designed specifically for education environments, providing a solution that is less expensive than comparable enterprise services.
Neverware's second product, CloudReady, follows Google into the cloud. The CloudReady operating system was built on Google's open-source Chromium and allows schools, government organizations, non-profits and enterprises to revive their existing hardware while taking advantage of the Google Admin Console's power and ease-of-use. For schools, this also means giving students and teachers greater access to the ubiquitous Google Apps for Education. CloudReady is differentiated from other options by the fact that machines running the OS can be managed alongside Chromebooks in the Google Admin Console, support is provided for hundreds of computer models, and mass deployment to many devices through tools like SCCM, Ghost, FOG and WDS can be coordinated. This allows school district and enterprise IT administrators the control and security features they need, as well as a simple, sustainable alternative to surplussing existing machines. Since this article was published the company has changed its pricing structure to these three options for education:
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