This article was published on January 16, 2013

AppDirect launches SMB-focused app marketplace in partnership with the Small Business Web


AppDirect launches SMB-focused app marketplace in partnership with the Small Business Web

Cloud-based marketplace service AppDirect has partnered with the Small Business Web, a trade association of cloud software for small businesses, to launch a new application marketplace for small businesses to discover useful tools. Called the Small Business Web Directory, it contains a wide selection of apps that any business would find useful from IT management to collaboration to sales and e-Commerce, marketing, and human resources.

AppDirect says the service is a “feature-rich, web-based app marketplace” that is utilizing open APIs in order to give companies an integrated software experience. With nearly 200 applications from which to choose from, any small business can get a robust software solution without needing to deal with high costs or hassle.

In teaming with the Small Business Web, AppDirect has aligned itself with a group backed by Google, Intuit, Constant Contact, and other technology companies. Its goal is to help small businesses “grow and thrive” by connecting them with “innovative business applications.”

For developers, the directory gives them a chance to showcase their products and reach out to businesses that they normally may not have been able to reach before, including those worldwide. AppDirect’s platform allows them to manage their apps and integrate it into multiple marketplaces around the world. Additionally, multiple products can be bundled together to increase their appeal to small businesses.

Daniel Saks, AppDirect’s president and co-CEO, says that his company “believes that a company’s size should never be a barrier to its success, especially when it comes to technology. Through our partnership with the Small Business Web, we’re able to help small businesses find, try and buy the best applications for their companies.”

Small businesses and startups interested in investigating what cloud-based tools could work for it can visit the app marketplace. One a specific app has been located, users can elect to purchase it right then — clicking on the “Buy Now” button will take the user to the developer’s check-out screen containing pricing and any other relevant information.

AppDirect recently launched its Developer Incubator program to help recruit new engineers and potential entrepreneurs. The company hoped that not only would these 20 new engineers help the company grow and move forward, but potentially lead them down a path to start their own business. It’s fitting in this way that it has partnered with the Small Business Web — not only will these apps be useful to those that choose the entrepreneurship route, but those that remain engineers can continue to create apps for interested small businesses.

All apps in the Small Business Web Directory use open APIs, something that AppDirect says will facilitate better functionality for end users. According to Pamela O’Hara, the founder and CEO of the Small Business Web, enterprise software can be rather restrictive, making it more difficult for small businesses to manage their companies. With open development standards, it’s believed that these small businesses will have the flexibility they need to grow without the software hassle.

Small Business Web Directory

Photo credit: MYCHELE DANIAU/AFP/Getty Images

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