Google Apps Packing a Punch

It may be time to pay attention to one of Google's(GOOG Quote) underappreciated lines of business.

On Tuesday, the company announced Presently, an online presentation service that will compete most directly with Microsoft's(MSFT Quote) PowerPoint while rounding out Google's online application suite, Google Apps, which already offers an online word processor and spreadsheet.

The move comes just a week after CapGemini, one of the world's biggest consulting firms, threw its weight behind Google Apps and announced that it would start recommending the service to its business clients.

While a cornerstone of Google's strategy, its applications business tends to be eclipsed by the other stated areas of its focus -- namely search and advertising. But over the long run, Google's push into applications has the potential to have a major impact on the company's already sizable bottom line.

And if recent events are any indication, Google's applications business may be ready to move to the next level.

Google's applications are usually considered the realm of individual users and small businesses. But the search giant's new partnership with CapGemini could help kick off adoption in the largest corporations as well. Big cost savings, increased collaboration between employees, and the ability to draw in employees who may not have their own dedicated machines are key pluses to Google's approach over traditional software, says Steve Jones, who heads up software-oriented architecture for CapGemini.

	Does the CapGemini partnership make you more bullish on Google? Answer Here