Product Suggestion - Chromebox for Chrome Enterprise - FAO Jay Parker perhaps?

I see the news re Google and Dell working together on Chrome Enterprise.

[If you're a Dell insider, please pass this along to Jay Parker's or other relevant team]

There is a gap in the market that's been bugging me for a while - namely a ChromeBox designed to work with USB-C connected enterprise monitors.  For example, we have a number of Dell P2419HC, which is a great unit.  With a single cable to my Pixelbook, I get power, three screens, wireless mouse-and-keyboard for that desk (Logitech Unifying), network (USB dongle), and easy connection of my USB headset for calls etc via the in-monitor hub.  

There is a need for a 'budget' ChromeBox designed to be paired with a USB-C monitor, for enterprises.  Rather than trying to put in every possible port a ChromeBox could have, I am convinced there is a real place for a cut-down box for SMB and corporate use.  In terms of I/O, it only needs to have 1 USB-C port, 1 USB-A port, and 1 DisplayPort port.  Or two USB-C ports and throw in an adaptor.

No power input, no card readers, no network, no audio, no battery, no anything else.  Ship with a DP cable and a good USB-C cable. And perhaps USB-A→C and USB-C→A adaptors.

USB-C Power Supply just needs to be an optional accessory and the standard laptop one.  

Probably need a 'budget' and a 'standard' and a 'premium' processor/ram/storage options, but all on the low end compared to ChromeBooks - just enough for G-Suite and a few Android apps to run comfortably, with varying numbers of tabs/apps open.

The DisplayPort and USB-A ports are really only needed for backup and fault-finding (i.e. connecting a monitor/kbd/mouse if the USB-C is suspect, or a USB-C monitor isn't available for some reason)

Side notes:

MOUSE/KEYBOARD SUPPORT

This works really well for us and 'hot-desking', with each desk's paired dongle connected to the monitor USB hub.  But we use Logitech rather than Dell wireless HIDs, because https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/logitech-unifying-for-chr/agpmgihmmmfkbhckmciedmhincdggomo exists, but the Dell Universal equivalent is non-existant. 

That NEEDS sorting if Dell wants a complete Chrome Enterprise offering.  And it just needs sorting anyhow.  It's not a complete fix though - ideally, we would use Dell keyboards (because Logitech's are really not very good until you reach the top end, and then they're full of features that probably don't belong in the enterprise.) but conversely Logitech's mice are so much more functional that Dell's (especially multi-button).   But I'm not about to plug two dongles into each desk to achieve that.  Plus it would be too costly.  But you need to support Chrome OS users with Dell KM714 etc.

USB-C MONITORS

On the monitor front, you should be looking at adding Ethernet into the built-in USB-C dock.  For an enterprise/SMB deployment, it feels 'silly' (and looks ugly) to have a USB→Ethernet dongle hanging off the back of every monitor!  

Longer term, it would be good to also have a second, 'downstream' USB-C port with PD on the monitor, mostly for fast-charging of phones etc.  Perhaps there's a way to make the USB ports a touch more accessible, e.g. an extension that can be clipped to the stand base?  Something like that… 

I don't think many people appreciate DisplayPort daisy-chaining, and that your HC monitors are already capable of driving two (or more?) extended displays off the single USB-C connection.  You should make more of that, it's a fantastic extra level of modular flexibility to get by standardising on the Dell HC monitors.  

Although it's a shame that the USB hub in the downstream monitor isn't integrated into this.  It might be a bit tricky, but I think should be possible? (https://superuser.com/questions/363649/can-displayport-carry-usb).  Having one cable 'do everything' (ie. USB-C to the monitor), it feels weird to have to string the two monitors together with separate DisplayPort and USB cables. 

I guess long-term it will be USB-C between the monitors as well, but stick with DisplayPort for now - getting USB-PD to 'work right' with multiple potential directions of power-flow is still very hit-and-miss.

IN CLOSING

So anyway - I hope that was useful / read by someone in Dell interested in Chrome OS devices and/or Enterprise user hardware…  Chrome OS is generally great - I no longer need Windows at all, but partly because I feel comfortable enough with Crostini.  That I can hop on any Chrome OS device, add myself, login, and have almost everything I need, and expect, just there and working is an extremely powerful proposition for SMBs and Enterprise.  I think Dell is the perfect partner for Google to help many companies experiment with, and realise the value that Chrome OS can deliver for the majority of 'standard' enterprise use cases.