Google Enters Software Market

Search engine Google has begun offering a range of hosted applications.

The model for the new Google Apps for Your Domain program is Google’s own Gmail for Your Domain, which the company debuted in February. With that service, customers can offer a version of Google’s Gmail service that uses the organization’s domain name rather than “gmail.com.”

According to Dave Girouard, vice president and general manager of enterprise business at Google, the Gmail for Your Domain service currently serves hundreds of thousands of users through tens of thousands of domains, including domains at several hundred universities. Google Apps for Your Domain offers free, hosted services of applications including Google Calendar, Google Talk (chat), and Page Creator (to create Web pages). Organizations that use the service will be able to customize the interface to reflect particular names, colors, and logos. Later this year, a premium version will be offered for a fee.

ZDNet, 27 August 2006