Google, Salesforce Team For Business AppsGoogle, Salesforce Team For Business Apps

Last week's rumor has come true: Google and Salesforce.com are teaming to offer Google Apps as part of the Salesforce.com platform.The deal marks Salesforce's first departure from the desktop. Google's Web-based application package, which includes spreadsheet, text editor, calendar, instant messaging, e-mail and other tools, will become tightly integrated into Salesforce's service. Similarly, any third-party app designed for Salesforce's AppExchange platform will automatically integrate with Google Apps.

Salesforce customers will get Google Apps for free, though they'll have to pay $10 per user, per month, for a service called Salesforce for Google Apps Supported, which will include telephone support, unified billing and provisioning, and additional application programming interfaces.

Bigger picture, the partnership could be a big boost for cloud computing, which makes applications available to companies on-demand, without having to invest in the related hardware, software and staff training. For SMBs, cloud computing represents an opportunity to get their hands on tools that are too costly to buy and maintain themselves.TechCrunch, InfoWorld, CNET