Cloud Workstations eliminates the “works on my machine” problem by providing consistent, secure development environments in the cloud.
What is Cloud Workstations?
Cloud Workstations delivers fully managed development environments that developers can access from anywhere. Instead of configuring local machines, teams work on pre-configured cloud workstations with all necessary tools, dependencies, and code repositories ready to use. Access happens through browser-based IDEs or by connecting local editors like VS Code via SSH.
Core Features
- Browser-based IDEs: Full VS Code or JetBrains experience directly in the browser
- Local IDE connection: Connect VS Code, IntelliJ, or other IDEs via SSH remote development
- Custom container images: Pre-configure tools, SDKs, and dependencies for your team
- Persistent storage: Code and settings survive workstation restarts
- Auto-shutdown: Reduce costs by automatically stopping idle workstations
- Private networking: Workstations run in your VPC with access to internal resources
Typical Use Cases
Distributed Development Teams
Remote and hybrid teams get identical development environments regardless of location or local hardware. New team members are productive within minutes instead of days of setup.
Secure Development for Regulated Industries
Financial services, healthcare, and government organizations keep source code within controlled cloud environments. No code on developer laptops means reduced risk of data loss.
Contractor and Vendor Access
Provide temporary development access without exposing internal systems. Workstations can be provisioned and deprovisioned instantly, with full audit logging of all activities.
Benefits
- Instant onboarding: New developers productive in minutes, not days
- Consistent environments: Eliminate configuration drift between team members
- Enhanced security: Source code never leaves the cloud
- Reduced IT overhead: No local machine management or troubleshooting
- Cost optimization: Pay only for active usage with auto-shutdown
Integration with innFactory
As a Google Cloud Partner, innFactory helps you implement Cloud Workstations for your development teams. We design custom container images with your tech stack, configure secure networking, and integrate workstations with your CI/CD pipelines and internal tools.
Available Tiers & Options
Standard (e2-standard-4)
- 4 vCPUs, 16 GB RAM
- Ideal for web development
- Cost-effective at ~$50/month
- Limited for large builds
Performance (e2-standard-8)
- 8 vCPUs, 32 GB RAM
- Good for microservices
- Faster compilation
- Higher cost ~$100/month
Power (e2-standard-16)
- 16 vCPUs, 64 GB RAM
- For ML/large projects
- Maximum performance
- Premium pricing ~$150/month
Typical Use Cases
Technical Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cloud Workstations?
Cloud Workstations provides fully managed development environments in the cloud. Developers access pre-configured workstations via browser or local IDE with all tools, dependencies, and code ready to use.
Which IDEs are supported?
Cloud Workstations supports VS Code (browser and desktop), JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm, GoLand, etc.), and any IDE that supports SSH remote development. Custom container images allow additional tool configurations.
How much does Cloud Workstations cost?
Costs depend on machine type and usage hours. A standard workstation (e2-standard-4) costs approximately $50/month with typical usage. Persistent storage adds about $0.10/GB/month. Auto-shutdown reduces costs during idle time.
Can I use my own container images?
Yes, Cloud Workstations supports custom container images. You can pre-install specific tools, SDKs, and configurations. Images are stored in Artifact Registry and pulled at workstation startup.
How secure are Cloud Workstations?
Workstations run in private VPCs with no public IP by default. Access is controlled via IAM and Identity-Aware Proxy. All data is encrypted, and code never leaves the Google Cloud network.
