At Google’s I/O developer conference this week, the search giant unveiled a number of exciting products and programs that should debut in the coming months, including a formal announcement of Google TV and the new WebM video platform. Of these announcements, the early preview of Google’s Chrome Web Store for apps is one of the most intriguing. Google is bringing mobile features to the Web, something that usually happens the other way around. The Chrome user-base is growing quickly, with a reported user-base of more than 70 million users. Based on Google’s success with Android apps, Chrome adoption rates and the overall market trend towards the cloud, the Chrome Web Store is poised to be the next major digital market.
The Chrome Web Store will create a one-stop shopping market for these necessary apps, and many more. Just as smartphone owners download apps for their devices from BlackBerry’s AppWorld, the Android Market, or the Apple App Store, the Chrome Web Store will function the same way for browsers.
The driving force behind the store is the cloud-based Chrome operating system, which Google plans to release by the end of 2010. As the Chrome OS will rely entirely on cloud computing, users will need to access the Web in order to download and connect to the applications normally stored on a computer’s hard drive. Google has also recognized the difficulty of finding the best Web applications, even with a Google search. The Chrome Web store aims to change that, making it easy for users to locate exactly what they want in the shortest amount of time. As Google’s mission is to move all computing into the cloud — and many computing trends suggest the same — Google aims to have the Web Store function on every browser, not just Chrome.
The Android Market is growing rapidly with users, with nearly 50,000 apps available to Android owners. These numbers could have a big impact on Chrome’s growth as well as the success of the Web Store. Android’s open-source environment is a big draw for developers as well, and Google plans to have the Chrome Store function the same way, ensuring developers will continue their relationship with Google. Mashable reports that, “Both free and paid apps will be available, as well as support for 40 languages in 70 countries.” We imagine apps will range from the useful – word processing, Adobe Reader, and document storage and organization; to the entertaining – multimedia players, e-readers, and games.
The Web Store will be the perfect platform for developers to expand their programs beyond mobile devices, showcase their talents, and reach greater audiences. Additionally, brands use the store to their advantage. When the store was unveiled at the I/O conference this week, Sports Illustrated demonstrated their Chrome app, which provides an interactive experience for a user separate from their Web site. Other brands who could use the Web Store to their advantage include TV and cable networks currently providing online streaming video to viewers. Imagine if you had the choice of buying ABC’s Chrome Web app for a small price, which would eliminate commercials during your viewing experience. For those who don’t want to pay, ABC could offer a free version with commercials, too.
By bringing apps to the Web, Google is creating a brand new digital market that blends mobile functionality with the power of the cloud behind it. If Apple can reach 12 million app downloads in a month with only 1 million users, imagine how many apps 70 million users will download. With the availability of the Web Store, Google may also be able to gain greater market share with Chrome, making it a viable competitor with Firefox and Internet Explorer. The Chrome Store will give users a solid introduction to cloud computing, setting the stage for the future of computing. Google knows the future is cloud computing, and the Chrome Store is a natural next step for Google in reaching that goal.
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