Google Apps for Business users gain access to ‘full spectrum’ of consumer apps

Google has dramatically increased the functionality available to its commercial Google Apps customers by including its previously consumer-oriented applications such as Picasa Web Albums, Google Voice, Reader, and Blogger.

The significance is mainly that the change allows administrators to specify that groups have access to particular applications, as the additional apps are still only provided on a ‘best effort’ basis, with no guaranteed service levels or phone support.

"Existing customers can transition at their own pace over the next couple months to the new infrastructure supporting these applications from the administrative control panel. New customers will automatically have the new infrastructure," said Derek Parham, lead software engineer for Google Apps.

Alongside the addition of the consumer apps to the business service, Google announced changes to the names of the Google Apps range.

The free Google Apps service covers messaging. collaboration, and the other Google applications.