At long last, Google has opened its Chrome Web Store. Google first mentioned the store for its open-source browser at its I/O conference in May.
The web apps Google is listing in the store are regular web applications built with standard web tools and technologies. The applications will also run in other browsers that support these technologies.
Although there are a growing number of free apps online, Google decided it was time to build a single open marketplace where consumers can find them. The Chrome store also gives developers opportunities to reach consumers by offering a single platform where consumers can search for apps. The store is currently only available in the U.S., but Google promised to expand it early next year.
Google’s Good Timing
“Developers have already started uploading apps, and we expect the number to grow over time,” Linus Upson, vice president of engineering, and Sundar Pichai, vice president of product management, wrote in a Google blog post. “The store will be featured prominently in Chrome, helping people discover great apps and developers reach millions of users around the world.”
Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence, is bullish on the prospects for the Chrome Web Store. As he sees it, the mobile market, the popularity of mobile apps, and other online stores such as the Salesforce app exchange paved the way for the Chrome store.
“Given that no software can be downloaded to the new Chrome OS notebooks, apps are a way to provide a richer desktop-like software experience in the browser,” Sterling said. “It also creates a way for developers to make money on browser-based software where they might have trouble charging for site access in a conventional web environment.”
Chrome OS in the Enterprise?
Meanwhile, Google is planting seeds about Chrome OS notebooks’ potential in the enterprise. Google pointed to InterContinental…