SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 02/04/13 -- AppDirect, the leading cloud service marketplace company, announced today that it is providing the technology to power the Staples App Center, an innovative online marketplace for cloud-based business applications. With its new App Center, Staples -- the largest office products company and second largest Internet retailer in the world -- makes it easy for small businesses to not only shop for the best business apps, but also manage them with one login, one user-friendly dashboard, and one consolidated bill.

"Staples was founded almost 30 years ago with a vision to be a one-stop shop for businesses to find office products easily and cost effectively. Today, AppDirect is helping Staples stay true to that vision by enabling access to the online tools that companies need to be successful," said Daniel Saks, President and Co-CEO of AppDirect. "Staples is famous for its 'that was easy' motto. With its new App Center, Staples is bringing the same philosophy to the cloud and business apps."

The Staples App Center powered by the AppDirect platform provides robust marketplace features that allow customers to shop for leading business applications from providers such as Google, Symantec, McAfee, Box, Carbonite, Brother, Mozy, and more. Customers can shop by category -- including security, office productivity, web conferencing, and others -- compare products, watch demos, and read reviews. Most apps offer free trials and monthly subscriptions that can be canceled or upgraded at any time.

The AppDirect platform also offers advanced management features that enable customers to create one username and password to log in and administer all of their applications, making it easy to add new users and review app usage, among other tasks. Moreover, customers can use the dashboard to view charges across applications and make one payment, eliminating the hassle of tracking invoices from multiple providers.

The Staples App Center marks AppDirect's entrance into the retail sector, a new vertical for the company. Moreover, the App Center launch represents a significant, industry-wide shift in the way small businesses buy and use software. "Staples has a long history of selling software to small businesses," Saks added. "With the launch of the App Center, Staples will continue to meet the needs of small businesses as the software industry evolves, and provide customers the option to shop whichever way is the most convenient for them."

With its white-label marketplace platform, AppDirect enables companies like Staples to broker cloud services between software providers and end users. Industry analysts have dubbed this Cloud Services Brokerage (CSB) and predict rapid growth for the sector over the next few years. "Channel companies today are adopting the CSB role to enrich their traditional IT services capabilities, expand into new markets, differentiate offerings and defend market share. Gartner estimates the revenue generated by those providing CSB services during the next two years to be $100 billion," said Tiffani Bova, Research VP at Gartner (Service Provider Primer: Cloud Services Brokerage, November 2012).

For more information about the Staples App Center, please visit: https://appcenter.staples.com/home

About AppDirect
AppDirect is the leading cloud service marketplace company dedicated to revolutionizing the way businesses run. Its award-winning platform connects businesses, brands, and developers through a global network of partner marketplaces. Based in San Francisco, AppDirect powers the marketplaces of trusted companies around the globe -- including Staples, Deutsche Telekom, Rackspace, Swisscom, Appcelerator, and more -- and has helped millions of businesses discover, buy, and manage the best cloud-based software and services.