Google has just announced the launch of its App Marketplace for Cloud based apps. This marketplace has been primarily targeted to Google’s massive existant userbase of 25 Million users who already use Google Apps, among which, there are more than 2 million businesses, both small and large scale. More than 50 companies have partnered with Google by launching their enterprise applications at Google App Marketplace.

Below are the companies that have launched their enterprise applications at Google Apps Marketplace.

This has opened up the golden floodgates for thousands of  third-party developers, who will now be able to sell their Enterprise level application(s) to tens of millions of Google Apps users.

Many of the third party applications in Google Apps Marketplace are free and several others are paid. The end users can choose to add any of the desired app to their existant suite of cloud apps (including Google Apps) and start using it with their domain right away. Due to tight integration of third party apps with Google Apps, external apps also make use of native Google app functionality such as Gmail and Gtalk.

But its not just users but largely developer community, which will be attracted towards this opportunity. As there is just a one-time fee of $100 for inclusion of any third party developer into this program(for developing and selling any number of apps) and Google takes a meagre 20% and leaves wholesome 80% for the app developer,  its a great money making opportunity from developer’s standpoint.

Analyzing this announcement from another end, the step seems to be a strategic step from Google towards building a Cloud App Store for Chrome OS.

As Google’s Chrome OS is a Cloud based OS, a cloud app store for third party applications, along with Google’s native web applications, makes perfect sense. And that would also allow Google to package Chrome OS along with a rich App store, quite similar to what Apple does with its iPhone App Store. 

For now, what Google is eyeing for is to lure as many developers as it can, for developing rich enterprise level applications and sell them through their marketplace. Developers, you better grab the chance early!

Prashant Sharma

Prashant Sharma is a Delhi based Entrepreneur who spent most of his college days polishing his marketing skills and went for his first business venture at 19. Having tasted failure in his entrepreneurial debut, he turned a Tech-enthusiast, specializing in web technologies later. Today, he heads AQR8 Media, a Digital Marketing and Technology firm and writes at TechPluto as well. Join him on Google Plus, Twitter and Facebook