Search giant Google launched its new Google Apps Marketplace service at its Campfire One developer event, as part of a further push into the world of cloud computing.
The company announced in a blog post that "the Google Apps Marketplace allows Google Apps customers to easily discover, deploy and manage cloud applications that integrate with Google Apps. More than 50 companies are now selling applications across a range of businesses."
Analysts say that the Apps Marketplace is reminiscent of the app stores in use to provide utilities and games to smartphone users. Additionally, the new site should improve interoperability between apps from multiple publishers.
Search engine optimization (SEO) experts say that the Apps Marketplace, being cloud-based, could have implications for both mobile and traditional SEO. Greg Sterling, writing at Search Engine Land, says that "Google has enjoyed some momentum in the enterprise with Apps but adoption has been tiny relative to Microsoft’s installed base of software users. This however would appear to be a ‘game changer,’ to use the overly used phrase, by bringing all sorts of creativity and new functionality into Google Apps."
