Google to offer apps for businesses

Hot on the heels of rumors of an impending presentation app (Presently), comes further proof that Google wants your desktop. The company has announced an expansion of Google Apps For Your Domain (currently in beta) that will find the search giant expanding its enterprise offerings. The new version of Google Apps will offer businesses hosted versions of Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar and Google Page Creator for corporate use, all collected on a start page. The company also plans to add the Google Docs Applications (Google Spreadsheets and Writely) to the package soon. All of the apps are fully-customizable, so you can easily replace Google's colorful logo with a drab image of your own choosing. While Google Apps were originally intended for the SMB market, demand from large enterprises like Disney and Pixar (what, no iWork?) allegedly pressured Google into expanding its business offerings. While pricing has not yet been announced for the Apps, Google is expected to use a scalable pricing model--according to Business Week, "a few dollars per person per month." "We're not looking to make it us versus them," Dave Girouard, vice-president of Google's enterprise group, said in reference to Microsoft. Regardless, it won't be long before the boys and girls in Redmond see Google as a threat, leading to a battle of titans of King Kong vs. Godzilla proportions.

For more on Google Apps For Your Domain:
- see this Business Week article
- and this Ars Technica article