Google: ChromeOS could immediately replace 60% of Windows desktops

..and might replace some IT workers too.

Linus Upson via Google

Linus Upson, Google's (GOOG) vice president for engineering in charge of Chrome had some big words for the NYTimes on their soon-to-be-released OS.  "ChromeOS machines could immediately replace 60% of the Windows desktops in the corporate market," he said.

That's quite a big chunk of Microsoft's (MSFT) business if it is in fact true.  I'm assuming Google has done due diligence and found that those 60% of corporate machines are used exclusively for tasks that can be handled in a browser environment.

Obviously it will take awhile for slow moving corporate IT departments to jump on board, even if they choose to do so.

ChromeOS is an OS based around Google's Chrome Browser.  Theoretically, ChromeOS could handle business machines which only operate in a browser.

Upson (whose first name matches the creator of Linux, the OS from which ChomeOS is derived) also makes an extremely dangerous statement about the specific cost savings of moving to ChromeOS

He also says he hopes it will put corporate systems administrators out of work because software updates will be made automatically over the Web.

First of all, the people who decide whether to move to ChromeOS or stay on Windows are going to be the System Administrators.  If their jobs are at stake (and they are), they are likely to come up with every reason and excuse not to move to ChromeOS.    Also, the CIO/Director of IT of a large company, also doesn't want to voluntarily slash her personal budget unless she has to.  Managing platform change is hard enough.  Pulling money and reports away isn't going to go over well in the upper ranks of corporate IT departments

Of course Upson's comments are likely to be music to the ears of CFOs and CEOs who are always looking to streamline IT operations.