10 March 2010 | Author: D. Warburton Search Copywriter

Google Apps Marketplace launched

Google has announced the official opening of its Google Apps Marketplace, where users can discover and install third-party applications that "deeply integrate" with Google Apps.

The Register reports that the Google Apps app store has already been pre-populated with more than 50 apps created by other companies that are configured for use with Google's online office suite, including an online payroll app by Intuit and a free online collaboration app from Manymoon.

Users of Google Apps can access and manage these applications from the Google Apps control panel, and they share the same sign-in as the suite's existing utilities.

The Google Apps Marketplace will work in a similar way to mobile app stores, allowing third parties to create and list any number of applications on the platform for a one-time fee of $100, as well as giving Google 20 per cent of sales. According to Google Apps director of engineering, Vic Gundotra, the marketplace can be built using a developer's "own platforms," "own tools" and "own infrastructure," however he also suggested the possibility of using the Google Apps Engine to help create their apps.

Since its launch in 2006, Google Apps has often been viewed as an alternative to Microsoft Office, and this new expansion will put the Mountain View company in a better position to challenge Microsoft's dominance of the office apps market.

According to Mr Gundotra, Google Apps is currently used by 25 million individuals and two million businesses worldwide. In addition to these new third-party apps, the suite combines popular Google business products such as Gmail, Google Talk and Google Calendar, which can be accessed online without requiring download or installation.

Google recently announced it would no longer be offering support for Microsoft's IE6 for Google Apps users, stating that businesses can get more out of the utilities if using a newer browser - whether that be IE8 or Google Chrome.