Staples, the world’s largest office products company and second largest internet retailer, today announced the launch of the Staples App Center, an innovative online marketplace for cloud-based business applications. The App Center makes it easy for small businesses to purchase and manage their apps all in one place, with a selection of the best business apps, an administrative console and one consolidated bill.

The Staples App Center, an innovative online marketplace for cloud-based business applications, makes it easy for small businesses to purchase and manage their apps all in one place. (Photo: Business Wire)

“Staples’ vision is to provide small businesses with all the products they need to succeed, including the best offerings from the evolving cloud computing market,” said Peter Scala, Senior Vice President Merchandising, Online Marketplace. “The App Center is the first of its kind in our industry, and uniquely meets the needs of our customers as they shift to cloud-based apps. Staples recognizes that small businesses would rather spend time growing their business than figuring out which applications they need to run it, so we did the research for them and selected the best cloud-based business solutions.”

The App Center features leading cloud applications from service providers like Google, Carbonite, Mozy, Box, Symantec, McAfee, and Brother, along with other cutting edge developers, with more to come. Small businesses can shop for apps by category, get recommendations, perform feature-by-feature comparisons and review product profiles. Most apps come with free trials and monthly subscriptions that can be cancelled at any time, creating risk-free shopping.

The App Center also features a dashboard, unique to the industry, that lets users access all their apps with one login and perform administrative tasks, like quickly adding approved users, upgrading apps or reviewing key usage data. For billing administration, customers are charged monthly with one consolidated bill from Staples, with the ability to review line item details on past invoices.

Staples recently announced it was increasing its investment in online capabilities and significantly expanding its assortment beyond office supplies to better serve the needs of business customers. The Staples App Center is an example of how the company is exploring new channels to grow its business, offer even more products and services, and forge tighter relationships with its customers.

About Staples

Staples is the world’s largest office products company and second largest internet retailer. The company provides products, services and expertise in office supplies, copy & print, technology, facilities and breakroom, and furniture. Staples invented the office superstore concept in 1986 and now has annual sales of $25 billion, ranking second in the world in eCommerce sales. With 88,000 associates worldwide, Staples operates in 26 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia, making it easy for businesses of all sizes and consumers. The company is headquartered outside Boston. More information about Staples (Nasdaq: SPLS) is available at www.staples.com/media. Follow Staples on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/staples and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/staples.

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