Google (GOOG +5.00%) just gained a big-name ally for its Google Apps productivity tools. Troubled computing giant Hewlett-Packard (HPQ +0.50%) joined the Google Apps Reseller program and will marry Google's cloud-based productivity tools to its own printers and PC systems in a turnkey product called HP SMB IT In a Box.
Besides being a tongue-twisting mouthful of letters, this product gives HP a unique selling point that sets it apart from rivals such as IBM (IBM +1.45%). The move also legitimizes the Google tools in a big way by attaching the HP household name to a fairly low-key Google product. This announcement can't sit well with Microsoft (MSFT +2.84%), which is used to ruling with impunity the market for office suites.
In the video below, Fool contributor Anders Bylund explains why this is a good long-term move for HP, and how it gives Google a springboard to new market horizons. Keep an eye on HP's Google-flavored adventures by adding the ticker to your Foolish watchlist -- just click here to get started.
