App stores are all the rage these days, it seems. Now The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Google’s about to launch a new one for businesses, focused around creating software for Google Apps.
According to the report, Google’s plan is to sell software built by third party developers to enhance Google’s suite of apps (e.g. Gmail, Docs, Calendar, Sites, GTalk). These outside apps could be for adding more security, enhancing word-processing features, or porting information into Google Apps.
A Google Apps store would work in the same fashion Android or the iPhone App Stores operate: developers set a price and Google and the 3rd party share in the revenue. It’s a model that has proven very successful. If it took off, it could create a whole new marketplace and a new revenue stream for the world’s largest search engine. It could even pave the way for app stores within Google’s consumer products.
The announcement is slated to come in March or so, although now that news has broken, it’s likely an official blog post from Google will come sooner. However, The Next Web points out that Google already has an “app store,” known as Google Solutions Marketplace. However, what the WSJ reported on seems to be far more robust and better integrated with Google Apps itself than Solutions Marketplace.
Do you think a Google Apps Store is a good idea? Would you pay for certain features? Which ones? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Tags: app store, business, Google, google apps, trending
