Google LLC today beefed up its cloud capabilities with the acquisition of Appsheet, which sells tools that enable so-called “citizen developers” to build data-based applications.

AppSheet sells a “no code” application development platform that gives Google an easy way to help companies create mobile apps without needing to hire teams of developers. It works by pulling data from a spreadsheet or other source and using the field and column names as the basis for a new app.

No doubt Appsheet was a tempting target for Google because it already integrates with its products such as Sheets and Forms. The platform works with other well-known services too, including Amazon Web Services Inc.’s DynamoDB database, Box, Salesforce and Microsoft Office 365. Google said Appsheet would continue to support those platforms after the acquisition has been completed.

Using AppSheet, it’s possible to build all manner of simple apps. Examples include apps for generating daily construction reports, requesting and tracking equipment maintenance, or even a pre-surgery checklist.

In a blog post, Amit Zavery, vice president of business application platform at Google Cloud, said the company was buying AppSheet because it wants to give every company the chance to build mobile applications, even if they don’t have any developers on staff.

“This acquisition helps enterprises empower millions of citizen developers to more easily create and extend applications without the need for professional coding skills,” he said.

More important, AppSheet gives Google a solid asset that should form the basis of its low-code development strategy going forward, Pund-IT Inc. analyst Charles King told SiliconANGLE. He said this is a wise move for Google as its competitors are already moving in that direction. Microsoft Corp., for example, has its PowerApps platform that was recently noted as a “market leader” in low code enterprise development by Gartner Inc., he said. And Amazon Web Services Inc. is rumored to be working on its own low code offering called “AWS for Everyone.”

“AppSheet looks like an interesting and potentially valuable acquisition for Google,” King said. “The fact it complements Google’s cloud strategy and can be used with existing Google assets are all points in AppSheet’s favor. Throw in the ability to integrate with cloud-hosted data sources such as Salesforce, Dropbox, AWS DynamoDB and MySQL and you can see why Google went ahead with the deal.”

Another analyst, Holger Mueller of Constellation Research Inc., said low-code was an important trend for Google to keep an eye on, simply because there aren’t enough developers in the world to build all of the next-generation apps that enterprises will need.

“AppSheet is a great tool to let limited tech savvy business users can built powerful mobile applications,” Mueller said. “The connection of AppSheet and the API leadership that Google has with Apigee is an interesting complement which we expect Google Cloud to leverage sooner than later.”

Image: Google