Google has unveiled App Maker to let businesses and enterprises build custom apps for their operations. The tool is initially available for access to customers with its G Suite subscription.
Based on the trending drag-and-drop format, App Maker allows you to design the users interface of your apps. You can also use your open source skills and create your developments using HTML, CSS, JavaScript and JQuery. Further, it offers Google Analytics integration to let you monitor usage on your apps in a real time.
“Whether you are looking for better ways to onboard new team members, staff projects, or approve employee travel requests, App Maker helps you build an app for that in days instead of months,” writes Elissa Murphy, vice president of engineering, G Suite, in a blog post.
Apps developed using the App Maker run on the infrastructure that is leveraged by Google’s G Suite apps. Therefore, IT admins can manage those apps just as the native offerings of the G Suite.
The cloud-powered IDE of the App Maker includes built-in templates as well as point-and-click data models. You can also connect to your own data sources and APIs to meet the needs of your organisation.
Data generated through the App Maker apps can be stored online in Google Drive Tables, which works as a structured database within Google Drive. Further, you can integrate entries from services such as Google Calendar, Contacts, Docs, Forms, Gmail, Groups and Sheets among others.
Google appears to rival services like App Cloud by Salesforce and Project Siena by Microsoft with the arrival of its App Maker. Though the development tool will not be a solution to develop all types of apps, it would suit some essential models such as order tracking and inventory monitoring solutions.
New apps and partners for Recommended for G Suite programme
Alongside its App Maker, Google has announced the addition seven new apps to its Recommended for G Suite programme that was launched last year. These apps are claimed to have gone through “rigorous security testing and quality measures” to address critical business issues.
Google has also added new recommended partners to expand its programme. The partner list includes Asana, DocuSign, Freshdesk, LumApps, Virtru, Xero and Zoho Invoice.
