Internet search services provider Google, Inc., US, is reportedly in talks with educational-software companies to help build a marketplace for online learning programmes, an industry whose value is expected to reach $5 billion this year.
The Google Apps Marketplace, an online store that launched in March, already offers games and instructional tools for teachers from companies such as Grockit and Aviary. According to a Google executive, the company is now looking to lure more educational developers and is stepping up efforts to generate revenue from the project.
Software sales for US schools and colleges this year is expected to surpass the 2009 total of $4.6 billion. This could provide a new growth stream for Google, as the company reportedly gets most of its sales from search advertising. It works with schools, providing free word processing, e-mail and spreadsheet programs to students and teachers. It now wants to help outside developers sell applications to educators.
Most software makers with products on Google Apps Marketplace currently collect all revenue from sales generated through the site. According to Google's business development manager for education, Obadiah Greenberg, Google plans to begin taking a 20 percent share of sales in the coming months.
Analysts estimate Google will report sales of $21.7 billion this year, based on the average of projections compiled by Bloomberg. Google's online store for education apps could soon face competition from Apple, which will open a version of its popular App Store for Mac computers on January 6. Apple already has ties to educational-software makers.
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