This week Google released the Google Apps Marketplace which will allow software developers to integrate their products with Google Apps. What this means for Google Apps customers is that they will now be able to take advantage of Google Apps for their core messaging and collaboration needs and tightly integrate their other application needs into Google Apps. Through the Google Apps Marketplace launch Google has laid their strategy on the table which looks to be continued development of the core components of Google Apps while giving developers the tools they need to extend and integrate with Google Apps. This strategy is also confirmed through recent Google Acquisitions such as their $25million purchase of DocVerse which was started by ex-Microsoft employees and made a product which allows for collaboration inside Microsoft Office. Through acquisitions like this Google is strengthening their core Google Apps suite which they hope will bring more customers on board.

Google Apps gives many business the best email and collaboration tool on the market, but often these organizations needs other tools such as project management or a CRM.  While inside Google Apps many users love the interface of Google Apps and how easy it is to navigate from one product to another through the Global Navigation in the top right side of your Google Apps product. While many users enjoy this easy navigation they still had to stumble around to get into other applications that they used on a daily basis. Now through the Google Apps Marketplace you can easily install application into your Google Apps domain and offer them to all of your users. Users will be able to easily navigate to those applications through the same Global Navigation that has your Mail, Calendar, and Documents. The applications in the Google Apps Marketplace also come with different levels of integration with Google Apps. Currently applications have one or more of the following levels of integration:

  • Mail integration
  • Calendar integration
  • Universal navigation
  • Single Sign On
  • Docs integration
  • Contacts integration

For example I have installed the ManyMoon project management application for the 2020Tek.com Domain. ManyMoon is now available in my Global Navigation, allows me to add/edit/create Google Docs, add/edit/view Google Calendar entries, edit/view Google contacts, and once I am signed into Google Apps I do not need to sign into ManyMoon.

Currently there about 100 products in the Google Apps Marketplace and will be growing on a weekly basis. The products inside the marketplace range from administrator tool to email marketing. I will be reviewing useful and new applications as they are released.