Google to sell third-party apps on online store, says report

Google Apps comes in several versions, including the most sophisticated one, Apps Premier, which costs US$50 per user per year and is geared toward medium and large businesses. However, most Apps customers are individuals and small businesses that use the free Standard version. The free Education edition for schools and universities is also popular.

The search giant would let customers purchase the software from its store and charge the third-party developers a commission, according to the Journal, whose article was based on anonymous sources.

A Google spokeswoman reached via e-mail declined to comment specifically on the Journal article, but she pointed out that Google already has a site called Solutions Marketplace where it features applications and professional services from third-party developers that complement Google Apps and other Google enterprise products.

However, customers cannot make purchases on Solutions Marketplace, meaning that those interested in buying the featured products and services have to contact the vendors themselves, either by going to their Web sites or calling them on the phone.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt has singled out the company's IT products for business as one of several attractive businesses to complement its core online search ad business. The company already has ample experience with online commerce through products such as Google Checkout, the self-serve ad-selling system of Google AdWords, the Android Market and Google Apps itself, for which users can sign up online.