Dell to sell Google appliances

Dell has signed a deal with Google allowing the PC maker to sell Google Search Appliance and Google Mini devices direct to corporate customers.

Although the units are actually manufactured by Dell, the firm has not been able to sell them until now.

"Having Google Search Appliance and Google Mini bolsters our enterprise offerings and simplifies the search engine process for our commercial and public customers," said Terry Klein, vice president at Dell's Americas Advanced Solutions Group.

"Google's turnkey search appliances align well with Dell's priority to simplify IT in the data centre."

The Google Search Appliance, with its distinctive yellow chassis, is designed for larger enterprises, while the blue Google Mini is targeted at SMEs.

The appliances deliver relevant search results from information sources within a company's firewall.

Companies can also design their own interface that users will recognise from their familiarity with Google.com, without compromising existing corporate security requirements.

"Expanding our channel presence will help meet the growing demand and interest in Google Enterprise solutions worldwide," said Darci Dutton-Reimund, head of North America channels at Google Enterprise.

"Dell's partnership is critical in helping us deliver the best of Google business innovation to our rapidly growing customer base."

The Google Search Appliance starts at $30,000 and the Google Mini starts at $1,995.