The U.S. government has opened its very own App store. But it’s not a challenge to the likes of Apple: instead it’s a central resource for tools for federal agencies.

Unlike many of the applications sold through stores for cellphones, the apps available at Apps.gov are entirely cloud-based: that is to say they are run through the Internet rather than being installed on the machines of agencies which buy them.

The theory is that the system will make it easier for agencies to make the leap to cloud computing and should cut hardware costs such as spending on servers and data centers.

Announcing the system, the U.S. Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra noted federal government spends $75 billion a year on IT. He explained that cloud computing could also be more efficient as many providers charge customers based on how much data they store or process, rather than a flat fee. The site also notes that outsourcing some tasks to cloud-based apps can free up IT staff to concentrate on local problems.

Google is reported to be working on a special edition of its Google Apps services designed specifically for distributing to government agencies through Apps.gov. While it’s likely the services themselves will be much the same, all data will be held on separate servers to those used for public and business users. There will also be tweaks to the services to make sure they meet policies for government data.

While Google’s hardly an independent, non-corporate entity, the news will be welcomed by those opposed to Microsoft’s stranglehold on desktop computing. It’s certainly a significant step to have a high-profile central resource for government agencies offering an alternative to using products such as Office.

Microsoft products will also be available through the store, along with offerings from Adobe and even Facebook.

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Entry was posted on Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 at 1:00 pm under Google, Microsoft.

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