Google Inc, aiming to expand beyond advertising tied to Internet-search results, plans to start an online store that will sell business software developed by other companies, a person familiar with the matter said.
The store is likely to be unveiled within the next two months, said the person, who declined to be identified because the plans aren’t public. The business model for the store, which would revamp an existing retail offering, is still in flux, the person said.
In competition with Microsoft Corp’s Office programs, Google says its online word-processing, spreadsheet, e-mail and calendar software has attracted more than 2 million users.
The company now offers a Web site called the Google Solutions Marketplace, which has links to business applications from other companies. Customers make purchasers directly from the Web sites of those companies, rather than through Google.
Meanwhile, the Mountain View, California-based company continued working quietly on tablet computer software that could run rivals to Apple’s latest creation.
Pictures of what a Google tablet might look like were featured at a Chromium developers Web page on Tuesday along with talk of how touchscreen controls could work based on its Chrome computer operating system.
The images were posted online two days before the Jan. 27 event at which Apple unveiled an iPad tablet computer that will begin shipping worldwide next month.
Google made images and video of Google tablet gesture control capabilities available online for developers to consider.
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