With the public beta release of Chrome, Google is putting browser vendors on notice, and that seems to be the big news here! Simply put, the observations of many conclude that Chrome is more than just another browser, but perhaps a new way to interact with the Web.

Now, let's be serious here for a minute -- Google is positioning Chrome as a better way to access the Web, claiming Chrome is easier, faster, more stable and will offer users a better overall experience. That clearly shows that Chrome's target is other Web browsers, but I think there is a somewhat hidden agenda here -- the real targets are operating systems and client/server applications.

For the channel, that can be bad news or good news -- bad news if you make your living deploying, integrating and supporting operating systems (network and otherwise) and the associated client/server or traditional client applications (think Microsoft SharePoint, then MS Office). Chrome unquestionably has the ability to have an impact on that business model.

After all, a great deal of effort has gone into Chrome to make Google's own Apps work faster, better and more cleanly. If you are using Chrome and Google applications, then you don't have to care about your network operating system, desktop operating system or even any of your local apps -- that will make most solution providers less relevant to their customers!

On the other hand, Chrome can be good news for the channel, if you are a player in the Web 2.0 / AJAX world. Think about it: Chrome is designed to improve the user's experience of AJAX, by improving speed and reliability. What's more, Chrome will help to legitimize the SAAS (software as a service) model. So if you are in the business of building Web applications, creating mashups or providing hosted services, Chrome may become a godsend -- unless you have standardized on .NET and ActiveX to make your Web apps work.

What it all boils down to is that Chrome has the ability to change how users will work with the Web, for better or worse, depending on which side of the tracks you stand on.

Solution providers will now, more than ever, have to make a choice about which technology path they want to follow, Web 2.0 or desktop applications, and then prepare the sales and technology arguments for each. Those fighting SAAS can turn to the recent news of services experiencing downtime and lack of control as a way to persuade businesses to hold back from moving over to SAAS, while those promoting SAAS can use the reduced integration and administrative costs of the technology to move their customers over to Web 2.0 SAAS solutions.

As far as I can tell, only one segment of the channel will without a doubt benefit from the appearance of Chrome, and that is the security VAR. New technologies can introduce new vulnerabilities, which will need new forms of remediation! So if you are in security, you can make a pretty penny from fighting the impact of Chrome or embracing Chrome -- either way you win!